Flight Curfews Proposed for Burbank Airport

In a dramatic push to win the city’s approval for a new terminal, Burbank Airport’s governing board on Friday offered to seek a mandatory curfew on flights and to scale back the project.

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority said it would cut the number of aircraft gates at the new terminal by two, to 14.

“It is our sincere hope that we can get a prompt resolution and we would very much like to receive any counter proposals from the city as soon as possible,” airport executive director Dios Marrero said. “This is a historic opportunity for both sides to resolve this long-standing dispute and get on with building the facility both agencies want.”

Burbank officials greeted the proposal favorably, calling it the biggest step toward compromise by the Airport Authority since battle lines were drawn in the early 1990s.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this much movement in the authority since this dispute first began,” said Burbank Mayor Stacey Murphy. “I hate to be too optimistic but I think we are going down the right road.”

“The finish line is in sight,” said Charles Lombardo, one of three Burbank representatives on the tri-city Airport Authority. “Now’s not the time to stumble.”

The Airport Authority is hoping to resolve outstanding issues over the terminal by July 26, the deadline for the authority to make a partial payment of $30 million to Lockheed Martin for the new terminal site it seized under eminent domain.

Airport officials say they don’t want to put out the money for the land without assurances from Burbank that it will approve the downsized terminal.

The compromise plan was approved by the Airport Authority on a 7-0 vote following a closed session. Under the plan, a 14-gate terminal would be built initially. It could be expanded to 16 gates by 2009 and 19 gates by 2019 if the airport meets certain conditions.

In addition, the proposal calls for the terminal building and an adjoining baggage facility to be reduced from 420,000 square feet to 330,000. It could expand to no more than 430,000 square feet by 2019.

The authority also said it would support a curfew on airline flights from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and would close the terminal building from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

In the past, the Airport Authority has not taken a position on curfews, saying it is strictly a matter for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA issued an opinion in May saying it could not impose a mandatory overnight curfew or a cap on flights without completing a lengthy noise study.

However, Burbank officials believe that if both the Airport Authority and the local government support the curfew, the FAA may waive the requirement for a study. Murphy said she intends to travel to Washington D.C. next week to address the issue with FAA Administrator Jane Garvey.

“She gave a mandate for the parties to come up with a local solution,” Murphy said. “We’re as close as we have ever been to resolving this. I hope she stands by what she said.”

Airline officials, however, oppose the curfew and are concerned about setting precedents that could affect other airports, said Neil Bennett, a spokesman for the Air Transport Assn., an industry trade group.

Burbank officials have expressed concern that the new terminal will erode the city’s quality of life by transforming a regional airport into a busy national facility.

Since 1995, lawsuits have been filed by both the city and the Airport Authority in state and federal court. The city has fought to uphold its power to control land use within its jurisdiction, while the Airport Authority has argued that local government cannot impede the federal transportation system.

If both parties agree to the new plan, it would settle all existing litigation between Burbank and the Authority.