State of the Authority Address

Joseph W. Craver, Chairman
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 22, 2004
Commuter Terminal, Wright Brothers Conference Room

Introduction

Good morning, and thank you all for joining us today for this first annual State of the Airport Authority Address.

It is about something people will be caring about not just tomorrow or next month or next year, but for generations to come.

And that’s because the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority is really all about one thing: this region's air transportation link. Currently, that link is made up of San Diego International Airport and a series of small general aviation and military airports and airfields spread throughout the County.

While there are many transportation arteries leading in and out of the region – roadways, rail lines, sea lanes – none connect us to the outside world in the same way as the air transportation link.

And while sea lanes dictated development through the end of the 18th Century and railroads ruled the 19th Century, to be surpassed by automobiles and trucks in the 20th, it is aviation and airports which will dominate global commerce in the 21st Century.

Indeed, the trend is already clear, with economists telling us that a full 40 percent of the total value of world trade currently is carried by air. Take a moment and really think about what an airport – this Airport – actually is.

This is the place where more people come from and go to locations farther away – and do so more quickly – than is the case with any other transportation mode or facility in the region. It truly is our link to the wider world.

And it would have the potential, if it were located in a place with more room to grow, to be so much more.

Anyone who has visited airports from Amsterdam to Ontario, from Dulles to Dallas/Fort Worth, knows the kind of economic vibrancy that a full-fledged commercial air transportation facility can pump into a region.

How effective our air transportation link is, and how effective it is in the future, will have direct consequences on the quality of life, economic strength and global competitiveness of our region.

The vital importance of this link – and the understanding that its preservation and enhancement should be a matter of regional importance and regional effort – led to the formation of this Airport Authority.

Our Partners

As public stewards of the region’s air transportation link, we know the importance of the tasks we are charged with. And we are grateful to have some tremendous partners helping us accomplish those tasks. They include:

The Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, and other Federal agencies, as well as the Harbor Police, which work so hard with us to keep San Diego International Airport safe, secure and running smoothly;

The proud airlines that serve San Diego International Airport, and the Airport’s many other important tenants;

State, county and city agencies and governments of the region;

Our partners in the military and business sectors of the community;

Our many other stakeholders, including citizen groups, neighboring residents, and – of course – the millions of passengers who pass through the Airport each year.

We also know who depends on the work we do in concert with our partners:

Residents from all corners of the County depend on us to reach destinations, and receive visitors from, around the world. They also depend on us to get their mail and other goods shipped by air;

Businesses from the region’s signature sectors – from biotech to software, communications to agriculture – depend on us to stay competitive in the global economy;

The region’s all-important visitor and tourism industries depend on us to stay vibrant;

And all who use the Airport depend on us – through our partnership with the Federal government and local law enforcement – to keep them safe while visiting Lindbergh Field and to deliver their friends and loved-ones in the same fashion.

Finally, the voters depend on us to come up with a meaningful approach to addressing the region’s long-term air transportation needs, an approach which they will vote on at the polls in November 2006.

The Year that Was

Let’s take a look at what your Airport Authority has done in the past year to preserve and enhance the region’s air transportation link, and what it plans to accomplish with our many partners in the months and years ahead.

Transition

Perhaps one of the greatest successes of the year was the historic and virtually seamless transition of this Airport to the Authority after 40 years of stewardship by the San Diego Unified Port District.

It was a great success because it happened with no disruption to the traveling public. All during a time of unprecedented security measures and other major changes in the aviation industry.

The transition may have been seamless to the traveling public, but it was a monumental job carried out with trademark professionalism and efficiency by those at the Port and the Airport Authority.

After all the negotiations, all the transition planning, all the hiring of employees, all the outfitting of new space, and all the development of new policies, procedures and programs … something special emerged.

A new kind of public agency to serve the region’s air transportation needs, led by a Board representing all sections of the County and powered by employees committed to being the region’s pre-eminent operations experts, planning professionals and development specialists.

And, above all, an agency dedicated to providing world-class service in all it does.

Operations

In 2003, we provided that world-class service to some 15 million passengers who passed through our terminals. That’s more people who passed through this Airport last year than the populations in the counties of San Diego, Los Angeles and Riverside combined.

And it marked an increase of some 300,000 more passengers than the prior year, reinforcing Lindbergh Field’s status as the busiest single-runway, major-hub commercial-service airport in the nation.

We’re a busy Airport, and the people of the region rely on us … especially during times of crisis. During the worst firestorms in the County’s history last fall, I’m proud to point out that Airport staff rose to the challenge and worked closely with the FAA to keep the Airport operational throughout the emergency.

Airport Site Selection

While operations at the Airport carried on smoothly day by day, the question on everyone’s mind was: “What about a new airport?”

It’s a question that has been asked generation after generation. In 2003, we took some big steps to come up with a real answer.

With the current Airport hemmed in on all sides and set to reach capacity in the next 1-2 decades, those with the vision to look 20 years down the road know that the region will lose out if we don’t act now … if we don’t decide together, as a region, how to accommodate the projected air transportation needs by augmenting or replacing Lindbergh Field.

In 2003, with the help of public input and intense scrutiny by stakeholders in the Public Working Group, a list of potential sites to replace or supplement the Airport was narrowed down, from 32 to the current seven sites.

This list will be finalized over the next few months as we embark on a more rigorous Phase 2 analysis. We recently brought on board the highly reputable consulting firm of Ricondo & Associates to assist us with this analysis, which will include the use of sophisticated Geographic Information System technology to ensure that no potential airport site is overlooked.

We have committed to the voters to present a ballot recommendation for an airport solution in November 2006.

We owe it to them to make sure that ballot measure is the result of thorough evaluation, exhaustive public input and a credible and transparent process.

After all, it will be one of this generation’s greatest public policy decisions, and one that will continue to shape our region for generations to come.

Economic Impact

It should be a decision that is made with enthusiasm, because a new airport solution will bring new jobs, new opportunities and new hope for the region.

In the year 2030, if the region does not meet full demand for air transportation service, it will forego $4.6 billion dollars to $8 billion dollars in Gross Regional Product, 34,000 to 56,000 jobs and $1.4 billion dollars to $2.5 billion dollars in total personal income.

We know this because even the current Airport, as limited in size as it is, serves as one of the greatest single contributors to the regional economy – contributing some $4.5 billion dollars a year in economic activity.

Airport Land Use Commission

We also know that airports impact the communities they serve in ways beyond dollars and sense.

That is why the Airport Authority also serves as the region’s Airport Land Use Commission, a responsibility formerly carried out by the San Diego Association of Governments.

In this capacity, the Board in 2003 reviewed several land use issues near airports throughout the County to ensure compatibility with existing Comprehensive Land Use Plans for those airports.

Customer Service

But a great airport can also be a great public space, where members of the regional community come to do more than just hop on a plane.

At San Diego International Airport, our customer service and public outreach programs set the standard in 2003.

Several hundred children and adults came to Lindbergh Field in August for a Family Day celebration of the Airport’s 75th Anniversary and the Centennial of Powered Flight. All eyes looked skyward as a striking replica of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, built by the San Diego Aerospace Museum, made an historic flyover and landing right outside this building.

The celebrations continued in October when the San Diego Symphony presented the ‘Symphony of Flight’ concert and the Airport screened its documentary film ‘The Future Takes Wing’ to over 2,000 people in Balboa Park … and in December when we joined with Airports around the country to present Passenger Appreciation Day.

But customer service is much more than impressive events at San Diego International Airport. We take the needs of our customers seriously on a daily basis, with innovative programs to assist people with disabilities, an active Airport Ambassadors program, the nation’s largest airport USO center to assist service members, ongoing cultural and performing arts programs, and more.

All of these programs kept our customers front-and-center throughout 2003.

Route Service Development

Some would argue the best customer service an airport can provide people is more flights, with more choices of airlines, and to more of the places they want to go.

We don’t disagree. And that’s why we are working hard to attract new air service to San Diego and enhance the service already provided.

We scored some notable successes on this front in 2003:

The Airport’s newest airline, Jet Blue, began daily non-stop service between San Diego and New York City on June 26, and quickly added two more daily non-stops.

Not to be outdone, Southwest Airlines launched its first non-stop transcontinental service from San Diego to Baltimore Washington International on July 6, providing a convenient new link to the nation’s capital.

To further enhance air service offered from San Diego International Airport, the Authority is pursuing new and expanded nonstop routes to underserved markets, both domestic and international.

Security

In today’s world, there is something that passengers want from their airports even more than great customer service and more route choices.

And that, of course, is to be safe and secure when they are at the airport. A nation on high alert since 9/11 makes security a major factor.

In 2003, the Airport worked closely with the newly created Transportation Security Administration to implement new security screening procedures required by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.

We’re proud that San Diego International Airport was one of the first airports in the nation to implement the state-of-the-art security procedures and equipment requirements mandated by this law.

TSA and Airport Authority officials worked together throughout 2003 to fine-tune the Airport’s comprehensive security program. Both agencies hold passenger safety and security as their highest priorities and remain tightly focused on this common goal.

Looking Ahead

I’ll conclude with a look ahead.

In 2004, the Airport Authority will continue to enhance programs and facilities, seek new air service, maintain vigilant security and operate Lindbergh Field as the world-class facility it is.

The Authority Board will continue its role as the region’s Airport Land Use Commission, working with local municipalities to determine if projects are in line with their comprehensive land use plans – all intended to safeguard the public health and safety by minimizing exposure to excessive noise and safety hazards around airports.

And 2004 will see the further scrutiny and gradual narrowing of airport site recommendations as a more rigorous, detailed study of the remaining sites proceeds in Phase 2 of our analysis. Continued public discourse will be a vital component of this process.

Conclusion

We are a new agency and have the energy and drive that come with newness. But we also have experienced staff with a strong track record of professionalism and dedication uniquely qualified to carry out the tasks before us.

And with regional representation from throughout the County, our Board is uniquely structured to spearhead the accomplishment of those tasks.

Reaching out to, working alongside – and made up of – the people of this region, your Airport Authority stands ready to meet the challenges ahead with all the spirit and resourcefulness for which this coveted corner of the world is known.

Thank you.

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