State of the Authority Address
Joe W. Craver, Chairman
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
11:00 a.m., Monday, February 13,
2006
Commuter Terminal
Wright Brothers Conference Room
Introduction
Thank you, Mr. Nieto.
Good morning. On behalf of the entire Board of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, thank you for joining us today for the third annual State of the Airport Authority Address.
Before I begin my remarks, I would like to first start by directing a few comments to my colleagues on the Board. It is truly an extraordinary honor and privilege to serve as your chair. I have great respect and high regard for each and everyone of you, and I feel privileged to serve you in this capacity. You are all highly talented, knowledgeable and experienced individuals who bring distinct and important points of view to the table. You have my sincere appreciation and admiration for your partnership and support in seeing through one of the most historic issues this region will ever face - the airport site selection.
I am speaking of airport site selection.
For the Board and, without a doubt, for this region, 2006 will prove to be a momentous year as we finalize an airport site recommendation for the countywide ballot in November 2006.
With this recommendation, the Board will put before the voters an airport solution - a solution backed by five years of solid, hard work conducted in a highly technical, methodical, thorough and transparent manner. Three years by the Authority and, prior to the Authority, two years under the leadership and guidance of the San Diego Unified Port District and the San Diego Association of Governments.
In our quest for developing the best recommendation possible, local military bases were just recently brought into consideration. We have total respect and admiration for the Armed Forces - a continued and robust military presence in San Diego is vital to national security and the economic health of our region.
Yet the public expects a full exploration of all workable airport options - including possible joint use at military bases. Our meetings with the military have been collaborative and cooperative. For this we are grateful. We are committed to continue working with the military in that spirit as we develop airport concepts for military bases. As we enter the homestretch of our site selection program, the Board will make its final determination for the ballot in late spring/early summer.
The statutory deadline for submitting ballot language to the County Registrar of Voters is August 11, 2006.
Throughout the airport site selection process, we have words of gratitude for the patience the San Diego community has shown and the confidence they have placed in us to bring forward the best ballot recommendation. The ultimate decision, though, rests with the voters. It will be one of this generation's greatest public policy decisions ever to be made in our county. One that will shape and define our region for decades.
That's why it is so important that we inform and engage the accomplish that task. Through a variety of public outreach mechanisms, we've reached out to many of you and will continue to do so throughout the coming months.
One of our favorite public outreach efforts is the Town Hall meetings we're holding across the region. We've held 11 to date and have 15 more scheduled before the November vote. Check our website for upcoming dates.
As crucial as the Airport Site Selection Program is, you're aware the Authority also takes care of other state-mandated responsibilities. Among them is the operation of San Diego International Airport - the busiest, single-runway commercial service airport in the county.
In 2005, 1 million more passengers used Lindbergh Field than in 2004 - reaching an all-time high of 17.4 million annual passengers. In spite of record passenger growth, the Airport Authority remains ever diligent in making San Diego International Airport as efficient as possible. But the fact can't be denied that the Airport is quickly running out of space.
Forecast numbers show that in just four short years, we will experience a shortage of gates, ticket counters and other facilities that airlines need to grow and serve our customers. It will take anywhere from 15 - 20 years to build a new airport. In the meantime, we need to continue to meet the air transportation needs of this region.
Through the Airport Master Plan, measured improvements will be made to Lindbergh Field. This will ensure that we can continue to safely and efficiently serve the public at this location until such time that a new airport is constructed and becomes operational. An environmental review is under way for the build-out option of Terminal 2 West, which includes:
- 10 additional gates
- expanded aircraft parking areas
- structured parking
- and on-airport roadway improvements
Environmental work is expected to be completed at the end of 2006. Construction is slated to begin in 2008 with the new gates coming on line in 2010.
Ever-mindful of our other major responsibility, extensive work has been accomplished on the draft Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans for all 16 of the county's airports. The purpose of these plans is to protect current and future airport operations and the public health and safety of people who live and work around the public use and military airports in San Diego County. In 2005, the Airport Authority made significant strides in this area.
Last November, the Board voted to form a Technical Advisory Group to expand opportunity for dialogue. The Technical Advisory Group has already met twice and is helping to clarify issues and build consensus before recommendations are brought to the Board for ultimate disposition. In 2006, staff will continue working closely with the Technical Advisory Group so that together we can develop draft plans acceptable to all interested parties.
In 2005, the Airport Authority continued its aggressive air service development efforts, giving a warm welcome to Midwest and Westjet airlines as new tenants. Enhanced air service options included JetBlue to Washington, D.C., Aeromexico to Mexico City, and Air Canada and Alaska Airlines to Vancouver.
We're proud to report that the dedicated hard work of individuals at the Authority and the Airport has been recognized with industry awards, including:
- A first place award as the most improved airport in the world for passenger satisfaction and the third-best airport in the Americas by the International Air Transport Association and Airports Council International
- An Safety Award from the Federal Aviation Administration for exceptional performance in airfield operations
- A Bronze-level Award from the California Council for Excellence for the Authority's commitment to organizational excellence and continuous improvement
I want to thank the Board and the Airport Authority staff for all of their hard work and commitment to making this public agency the best that it can be. Of all the organizations that I have worked for throughout my career, I can truthfully say that the Airport Authority staff is the best in its level of competence to get the job done.
In closing, none of us agree to serve on this Board to fail. Working together we are committed to succeed. We are resolved to accomplish all tasks before us.
The paramount task before us is site selection. 2006 is the homestretch of solving a critical issue that has beset the region for over 50 years. Speaking on behalf of the Board and the staff at the Airport Authority, we look forward to bringing forth the best ballot recommendation possible - one that will once and for all provide a solution to our air transportation future. We know that the public deserves and expects nothing less from all of us. Thank you.
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