Bob Hope Airport

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.

The first labor contract covering maintenance workers at Bob Hope Airport went into effect on Friday, giving hefty wage increases to the employees over the next three years. Workers will see a $14% pay increase in the first year of the contract, 8% in the second year and 3% in the final year, airport spokesman Victor Gill said. The sharp wage increases reflect just how low the local maintenance wages were compared to other airports in the state, said Gavin Koon, a representative of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501. “They were significantly underpaid,” he said.

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.

For the first time in at least five years, the number of passengers using Bob Hope Airport declined during the important November-December holiday travel season, according to data released this week. Looking at a year-to-year comparison, the passenger tally in December dropped by almost 8% compared to the year before, adding to a steady decline that plagued the airfield throughout last year. The airport handled 330,966 passengers in December, down from 359,272 during the same time in 2011, according to a report released to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday.

Halfway through its fiscal year, Bob Hope Airport's operating revenues are running more than $150,000 in the red due to declining numbers of passengers and weak parking revenues, according to a recent financial report. Parking fees, which make up about 40% of the airport's revenues, were budgeted to bring in $9.5 million but only produced $8.9 million, according to the report released to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on Monday. Passenger levels for the first half of the fiscal year - July to December 2012 - declined almost 6.8% compared to the same period in the last fiscal year.

It's been a rough two years for Bob Hope Airport, where a precipitous drop in the number of passengers using the regional airfield has meant a worrying drop in revenues. Fewer passengers mean fewer receipts at parking lots, concessions and other revenue-generating enterprises that fund operations and pay for badly needed infrastructure upgrades. Assuming what's good for the airport is good for the airlines, the solution seems simple. "If the airlines reduced their rates at Burbank and made it more competitive, there would be more passengers and we'd be in better shape; there's no mystery to this," said Terry Tornek, a member of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.

Bob Hope Airport officials approved additional parking rate increases this week to tackle steady revenue drops caused by declining passenger activity that's expected to be exacerbated by JetBlue's decision to eliminate all daytime flights at the airfield as of Jan. 6. The decision will eliminate one daily flight to JFK International Airport in New York City and another to Las Vegas. JetBlue's evening service to JFK will continue. A spokeswoman for the airline, Tamara Young, said in a statement that customer demand is “the ultimate factor in determining a route or flight schedule.” And despite cutbacks in Burbank, JetBlue's overall network continues to expand, Young said.

Bob Hope Airport officials today announced plans to host a fundraiser to benefit Superstorm Sandy victims, many of whom are now dealing with the effects of a strong nor'easter. The winter storm blew in Wednesday, dumping snow and knocking power out in a region still trying to recover from Sandy. On Friday, officials at Bob Hope Airport will be stationed outside the main entrance near the Terminal A baggage claim and outside the entrances to Terminals A and B collecting cash or checks made out to the American Red Cross, according to an announcement today.

The sound-proofing program for homes around Bob Hope Airport is slowly wrapping up and airfield officials are urging property owners who haven't signed up to contact them as soon as possible. “It is winding down because we've done so much insulation,” Monica Newhouse-Rodriguez, deputy executive director of facilities and planning, said after a public workshop this week where residents learned about a study the airport is conducting to analyze the current and five-year forecast for aircraft noise.

A spokesman for Bob Hope Airport said officials are investigating what caused runway lights to lose power late Wednesday night. Several incoming and outbound flights had to be canceled Thursday night when crews were unable to restore power in time. The north-south runway “edge lights” were switched back on at about 5:30 a.m. Friday. Although the north-south runway is mainly used for departures, incoming flights were also affected, officials said. Airlines that use Bob Hope Airport include Southwest, United, Jet Blue and Alaska.