Bob Hope Airport

Authorities staged a full-scale emergency response at Bob Hope Airport Tuesday, an exercise required every three years by the federal government to test readiness in case of a real incident. On Tuesday, emergency crews simulated a jet fire, complete with rescued passengers, a triage and full scale firefighting response. According to the scenario, the pilot experienced temporary flash blindness caused by laser lights originating from a person on the ground. The blindness caused a hard landing and the aircraft penetrated a fence, striking multiple vehicles, some of which burst into flames as part of the staged event.

Passenger numbers at Bob Hope Airport took another nose dive in October, dropping 4.7% compared to the same period last year, officials said this week. The airport handled 363,684 passengers in October, down from 381,656 in October 2010, according to the latest figures. Though the impact to parking revenues was not available this week, the drop in passengers is almost sure to be a drag on those revenues. The confluence of declining figures was cited by the credit rating agency Fitch earlier this year when it warned that the AA- rating for the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority could be threatened in the future, especially as officials pursue a $90-million transit center.

Passenger and parking revenue figures at Bob Hope Airport continued their downward glide in February as the airfield moves forward with some uncertainty after the loss of American Airlines. The airport handled 309,259 passengers in February, a 1.7% drop from 314,259 passengers during the same period last year, according to a report released Monday to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. The number was slightly below what was budgeted, said Dan Feger, the airport's executive director.

A 14-year-old autistic boy who was reported missing after leaving a flight at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank was found unharmed Wednesday evening in West Hollywood, authorities said. Cameron James Smith was found by airport police about 6 p.m. in the 8900 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, said Sgt. Brian Lutz of the West Hollywood Sheriff's station. Lutz said his deputies were notified by the officers and responded to the scene and confirmed that the boy was not harmed. "He was in good condition," Lutz told The Times.

Bob Hope Airport cut down expenses and beat revenue expectations in the last fiscal year, according to a report issued Monday that marked a turnaround in what had been a string of bad news. The airport reduced operating costs by cutting $2.6 million in areas such as parking services, electricity and water bills. Meanwhile, conservative predictions on how much the airport would earn resulted in the topping revenue expectations by an estimated $1.3 million. "We're quite happy," said Frank Quintero, president of the governing Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.

The Transportation Security Administration has halted a “long-standing” arrangement with Bob Hope Airport police when investigating unattended bags, raising safety and security concerns among officials at the airfield. In an April 19 email to his officers, the airport's police chief, Ed Skvarna, said TSA no longer will test swabs taken of unattended bags in the public areas of the terminal. That means Los Angeles County sheriff's bomb squad agents would have to be called in, creating a delay in determining if a bag contains explosive material.

The 50-year-old man who was struck and killed by a car near Bob Hope Airport on Saturday was homeless, authorities said. Burbank police on Monday continued their investigation into the death of the man, who Los Angeles County coroner's officials said died of several traumatic injuries. Authorities did not release his identity pending notification of next of kin. He was struck about 3:50 p.m. on Empire Avenue, near Clybourn Avenue, where he was pronounced dead at the scene by firefighters and paramedics about 4 p.m., Burbank Police Sgt. Scott Meadows said.

About 25 residents attended a workshop at Bob Hope Airport on Thursday, many of them complaining that they don't qualify for a program to soundproof their homes despite the intrusions of aircraft noise. The workshop was designed to get public input as part of an update to a study looking at the impact of aircraft noise on areas surrounding the airport. One of the main reasons the airfield is conducting the study is to continue receiving federal funding for its residential sound insulation program.

Bob Hope Airport commissioners this week waved off a planned print and online ad campaign while keying in on the message they most want to get across: Whatever your L.A. destination, fly Burbank. Members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday were skeptical of the concept because of what commissioners feel is a lack of emphasis on the convenience of Burbank's airport. A combination of newspaper advertisement and online ads were scheduled to start in early May and end in July, said Steven Forsythe, chief executive of FFE Group Communication Partners, the firm consulting on the campaign.

After two public hearings and lengthy discussions over the course of a month, the Burbank City Council has approved the $120-million transit center for Bob Hope Airport. The original proposal had been postponed to allow city officials to clarify the city's role in approving landscaping and so-called "green street" features. The transportation hub will consolidate rental car facilities and bus transit on the current airport property, a covered moving walkway to the airport terminal and the second compressed natural gas fueling station in Burbank.

Interest rates for bonds sold to construct a new transit center at Bob Hope Airport came in lower than expected, reducing the annual debt obligation by more than $1.25 million, officials reported Monday. About a half hour later, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority approved contracts totaling roughly $81.2 million to build the first phase of the center, which is slated to be completed in about two years. The project will consolidate all train, bus and car rental services under one roof.

In the first full month since American Airlines pulled out of Bob Hope Airport, parking revenues at the airfield fell by 8.6% in March, officials reported this week. While the drop is steeper than what the airport has seen in recent months, airport Executive Director Dan Feger said there are signs of a turnaround. “I'm going to make a guardedly optimist statement,” he told airport commissioners on Monday. “I think that we are starting the recovery in place here at this airport.” Preliminary parking-revenue numbers for April are showing improvement, Feger said, projecting a less severe drop of 3%. And parking appears to be increasing during the first two weeks of May, Feger said, citing reports from airport's parking operator, Standard Parking.

The Transportation Security Administration has halted a “long-standing” arrangement with Bob Hope Airport police when investigating unattended bags, raising safety and security concerns among officials at the airfield. In an April 19 email to his officers, the airport's police chief, Ed Skvarna, said TSA no longer will test swabs taken of unattended bags in the public areas of the terminal. That means Los Angeles County sheriff's bomb squad agents would have to be called in, creating a delay in determining if a bag contains explosive material.

Burbank Bob Hope Airport closed the entrances to its economy parking Lot D today in preparation for construction of a new transportation center scheduled to begin this summer. A large portion of the parking lot will be used for the planned $108.9-million center , which will bring all rail, bus and rental car operations under one roof, said airport spokesman Victor Gill. All vehicles currently parked in Lot D, located at the corner of Hollywood Way and Empire Avenue,  must exit prior to May 15, according to the airport.

Bob Hope Airport officials this week authorized more than $82 million in bonds to pay for new rental car and parking facilities for a new regional transportation center. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority signed off on the two 30-year bonds for $82.7 million at a special meeting Monday - shoring up the last major piece of funding for the center that will bring public transit and rental car facilities together for what officials hope will make for a better customer experience.

Bob Hope Airport commissioners this week waved off a planned print and online ad campaign while keying in on the message they most want to get across: Whatever your L.A. destination, fly Burbank. Members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday were skeptical of the concept because of what commissioners feel is a lack of emphasis on the convenience of Burbank's airport. A combination of newspaper advertisement and online ads were scheduled to start in early May and end in July, said Steven Forsythe, chief executive of FFE Group Communication Partners, the firm consulting on the campaign.

Bob Hope Airport will soon be known as Burbank Bob Hope Airport as part of a new summer ad campaign to drive more passengers to the regional airfield during its peak travel time of the year. The temporary name change comes as officials respond to airline concerns about the lack of a city identifier in the name of the airport, said John Hatanaka, the airport's senior deputy executive director. Dan Feger, the airport's executive director, said that, for now, the name change was only for the summer advertising campaign.

Passenger and parking revenue figures at Bob Hope Airport continued their downward glide in February as the airfield moves forward with some uncertainty after the loss of American Airlines. The airport handled 309,259 passengers in February, a 1.7% drop from 314,259 passengers during the same period last year, according to a report released Monday to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. The number was slightly below what was budgeted, said Dan Feger, the airport's executive director.

Outsiders may equate Burbank with planes and cars due to its proximity to Bob Hope Airport and Interstate 5 (I-5), but the city's sidewalks are starting to get some attention. Burbank was ranked No.12 on a list of the 25 best cities for walking in the country in Prevention magazine . The article cited Universal City Walk and nature paths as popular destinations on foot. "Studio executives have been known to ditch their wheels to walk to nearby lunch appointments," the magazine said.

About 25 residents attended a workshop at Bob Hope Airport on Thursday, many of them complaining that they don't qualify for a program to soundproof their homes despite the intrusions of aircraft noise. The workshop was designed to get public input as part of an update to a study looking at the impact of aircraft noise on areas surrounding the airport. One of the main reasons the airfield is conducting the study is to continue receiving federal funding for its residential sound insulation program.