Which LA airport would be the best airport for a new airline to fly into that best serves the interests of the airline and the passenger?
For practicality purposes, let's say this new airline will fly heavy aircraft, have a limited number of flights, and not be concerned with connecting traffic.
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- PatrickZ80
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Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
Heavy aircraft will pretty much rule out the smaller airports such as Burbank and Orange County, their runways are too short. That narrows it down to LAX, Long Beach and Ontario.
Long Beach does not have a FIS, it's a domestic airport only. That doesn't have to be a problem if all flights are domestic, but for international flights the choice would be limited to LAX and Ontario. Both have their pros and cons. LAX is no doubt the most convenient, but so do other airlines think. The competition at LAX is murderous, it's difficult to get a foothold there without stepping on anyone's toes. Ontario might be less convenient for most of Los Angeles, but it still has a reasonable catchment area and it gives the airline a chance to differentiate themselves from the others. A different airport means a different product.
Long Beach does not have a FIS, it's a domestic airport only. That doesn't have to be a problem if all flights are domestic, but for international flights the choice would be limited to LAX and Ontario. Both have their pros and cons. LAX is no doubt the most convenient, but so do other airlines think. The competition at LAX is murderous, it's difficult to get a foothold there without stepping on anyone's toes. Ontario might be less convenient for most of Los Angeles, but it still has a reasonable catchment area and it gives the airline a chance to differentiate themselves from the others. A different airport means a different product.
Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
LAX is obviously the choice for most travelers as its well located for business and tourist areas. LAX really serves as the region's primary international gateway with clients from San Diego to Santa Barbara.
ONT is a local community airport at the far east end of LA basin, a more industrial and lower-income catchment area which has helped it become a popular cargo airport.
Since public transportation is not much of a thing in LA where the car is king, ONT is not exactly that accessible nor convenient outside its immediate catchment area.
ONT is a local community airport at the far east end of LA basin, a more industrial and lower-income catchment area which has helped it become a popular cargo airport.
Since public transportation is not much of a thing in LA where the car is king, ONT is not exactly that accessible nor convenient outside its immediate catchment area.
Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
If you want to serve all of Los Angeles, then LAX is where the bulk of the money and passengers are.
All the other airports - BUR, LGB, ONT, SNA are indeed independent airports and convenient options geared towards serving their own immediate local areas.
All the other airports - BUR, LGB, ONT, SNA are indeed independent airports and convenient options geared towards serving their own immediate local areas.
Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
Great points from everyone so far. One of the things that's easy to overlook the catchment area that @UPlog mentioned. While LAX is definitely closer to Santa Barbara, Ontario would be appealing to those who live in San Diego and Palm Springs, no?
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- PatrickZ80
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Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
NorseFA wrote:While LAX is definitely closer to Santa Barbara, Ontario would be appealing to those who live in San Diego and Palm Springs, no?
No, it wouldn't.
These cities have their own airports for good reason, they're too far to drive from Los Angeles. Maybe they aren't for O/D traffic, but they are for getting to an airport.
Ontario would be the closest Los Angeles airport from Palm Springs, but still not really convenient. From San Diego it's a whole other story, Orange County would be the closest Los Angeles airport from there. Getting from San Diego to Ontario would be a pain in the ass. But it's irrelevant anyway because like I said these cities have their own airports. They're not part of the Los Angeles catchment area.
For the record, Santa Barbara has an airport as well. Why drive all the way from Santa Barbara to LAX if you can fly straight from there?
Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
As others mentioned LAX is the airport that serves the entire Southern California basin offering a wide variety of destinations, airlines, and competitive pricing.
Local community airports like BUR, SNA, LGB all have restrictions be it slots, curfew, gate limitations that will keep them limited in what they can offer.
Hundreds do it daily. There is even a bus service that links downtown Santa Barbara with LAX. Heck there are busses from even further away in Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo to LAX.
And for San Diego, thousands drive or fly up to LAX to access a global network as well.
Per the 2017 LAX enplanement survey here are the counties where local people lived.
Los Angeles - 55%
Orange - 18%
San Bernardino - 7%
Ventura - 6%
Riverside - 5%
San Diego - 5%
Other - 4%
Local community airports like BUR, SNA, LGB all have restrictions be it slots, curfew, gate limitations that will keep them limited in what they can offer.
PatrickZ80 wrote:For the record, Santa Barbara has an airport as well. Why drive all the way from Santa Barbara to LAX if you can fly straight from there?
Hundreds do it daily. There is even a bus service that links downtown Santa Barbara with LAX. Heck there are busses from even further away in Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo to LAX.
And for San Diego, thousands drive or fly up to LAX to access a global network as well.
Per the 2017 LAX enplanement survey here are the counties where local people lived.
Los Angeles - 55%
Orange - 18%
San Bernardino - 7%
Ventura - 6%
Riverside - 5%
San Diego - 5%
Other - 4%
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- hawaiian717
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Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
PatrickZ80 wrote:Getting from San Diego to Ontario would be a pain in the ass.
Not really, it’s pretty straight forward. I-15 North to I-10 East and a couple exits later you’re at ONT.
The reason that San Diegans generally wouldn’t go to ONT is that there’s not much reason to, as the only thing ONT offers that SAN doesn’t is the China Airlines flight to TPE, so people headed to Taiwan might opt for that rather than driving to LAX (which is a similar distance from central San Diego) or taking a connecting flight from SAN.
Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
hawaiian717 wrote:PatrickZ80 wrote:Getting from San Diego to Ontario would be a pain in the ass.
Not really, it’s pretty straight forward. I-15 North to I-10 East and a couple exits later you’re at ONT.
Slight correction, it's I-10 west.
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- hawaiian717
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Re: Best Los Angeles airport for new airlines?
AirKevin wrote:hawaiian717 wrote:PatrickZ80 wrote:Getting from San Diego to Ontario would be a pain in the ass.
Not really, it’s pretty straight forward. I-15 North to I-10 East and a couple exits later you’re at ONT.
Slight correction, it's I-10 west.
Yes, you’re right.
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