LA/Palmdale Airport Begins Commercial Service

Yesterday, Southern California took a giant step in the direction of regionalizing air travel as LA/Palmdale Airport showcased its newly remodeled airport and celebrated the landing of its first commercial jet. I flew up to Palmdale for this event, where I joined Palmdale Mayor James Ledford, Lancaster Mayor Henry Hearns (both pictured), as well as Los Angeles Airport officials to welcome the arrival of the United Express jet from San Francisco. Beginning on June 7, 2007, United will fly two roundtrips a day between PMD and SFO, where travelers can connect to dozens of domestic and international flights.

This new service marks the highest point yet in collaboration between Los Angeles and Palmdale to further regionalization efforts. The opening of LA/Palmdale Airport is a fundamental part of our regionalization strategy -- it eases the traffic gridlock that chokes our highways and streets, expands air service for our traveling public, and gives air passengers another convenient air travel alternative to LAX. As the Chair of the Southern California Regional Airport Authority (http://www.scraa.org/), I look forward to working with officials across the region to further develop commercial service at LA/Palmdale Airport.

-Bill