Irvine to Open Negotiations Over Terminal

The city of Irvine will begin negotiating with Los Angeles International Airport and Ontario Airport officials to open a satellite airline terminal at the Irvine Transportation Center, a facility the city hopes will eliminate the need for a new airport at the closed El Toro Marine base.

Area residents would be able to purchase airline tickets and check their luggage at the terminal and then board shuttles that would take them to LAX or Ontario, John Wayne or Long Beach airport. Irvine’s transit center already is a major hub for Metrolink and Amtrak passengers.

Irvine Mayor Larry Agran called the plan “one of the most exciting developments” being considered to deal with south Orange County’s air transportation needs. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to begin negotiations.

Irvine officials said the shuttle service would encourage South County residents to use Ontario Airport, which, according to its operator, is currently underused. It also would streamline traffic to LAX, Irvine officials said.

Irvine’s plan for the satellite terminal, first proposed two years ago, has gained support as the debate continues over a commercial airport at El Toro, which borders Irvine.

For years, Irvine officials and South County residents have been locked in a bitter fight with airport proponents, including the Orange County Board of Supervisors and cities near John Wayne Airport. El Toro airport supporters say that John Wayne, which currently has a cap on the number of incoming and outgoing flights, cannot accommodate the county’s growing needs.

“If this [satellite] facility is developed, it relieves any kind of pressure to lift the flight cap at John Wayne Airport,” Irvine Councilman Chris Mears said. “So we would expect the city fathers at Newport Beach might be willing to lock arms with us on this.”

But Newport Beach officials weren’t so quick to accept the plan as a panacea.

“If convenience and less traffic were the key issues, then having a commercial airport at El Toro would be more convenient than traveling to a shuttle terminal for a 40-mile bus ride through congested freeways,” Newport Beach City Manager Homer Bludau said. “To best serve Orange County air passengers, an airport at El Toro needs to be built.”

Irvine’s so-called “fly-away” satellite terminal would cost about $2.5 million, city officials said. The facility would house ticket and information counters, security and car rental offices, a waiting area and restrooms.

Shuttles would depart every half hour, initially going only to LAX, John Wayne and Long Beach, with stops at the Irvine Business Center near Jamboree Road and Main Street. Service to Ontario Airport would begin later.

“Ontario currently doesn’t have a sufficient number of flights right now to warrant service to that facility,” said John Harris, principal planner for Irvine. “So until the frequency of services there increase, I don’t think it would be effective to provide shuttle transportation there.”

Ontario, which currently handles about 6.5 million passengers a year, is capable of handling up to 20 million passengers, according to officials at Los Angeles World Airports, which operates both Ontario and LAX.

If Irvine’s negotiations with Los Angeles World Airports are successful, the Irvine facility could be up and running in 18 to 24 months, Harris said. Irvine officials expect to serve about 250,000 passengers the first year and 590,000 by 2009.

Round-trip fares would cost between $20 and $24 for shuttle service to LAX, with parking fees set at $2 per day. Other airport shuttle services from Orange County to LAX currently cost $40 or more one way.

A similar facility at the Van Nuys Airport shuttles more than 700,000 passengers a year to LAX and back. Those passengers pay $6 for a round trip and $2 per day for parking.

Earlier this month, officials from Los Angeles World Airports said the Irvine terminal is a good idea but warned that it probably wouldn’t solve all of Orange County’s air transportation problems.

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Satellite Terminal

The Irvine City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to begin negotiations with officials from Los Angeles International and Ontario airports to open a satellite airport terminal in the city. The $2.5 million proposal would allow air travelers to purchase their tickets, check luggage and then board a shuttle bus that would take them to LAX, Ontario, John Wayne or Long Beach airport.