LAX cargo down 7.4pc volume in 2009, but up 25.3pc in December

LOS ANGELES World Airports reported year-on-year declines in passenger and cargo figures at its airports LAX, LA/Ontario International, Palmdale and Van Nuys for 2009 despite a last minute upturn.

Cargo dropped 7.4 per cent at over 1.6 million tons, but December's strength showed a 25.3 per cent compared to same period in 2008 at 160,591 tons. Passenger figures were healthy at year high of 4.8 million, 3.6 per cent year on year with international ahead of domestic nearly six per cent and 2.75 per cent respectively.

"It looks like we have hit bottom and in the last couple of months we've managed to crawl back, with traffic building somewhat, LAWA executive director Gina Marie Lindsey said in a Contra Costa Times report. "I expect this to be a long, slow climb. I do not expect a big bounce back."

Passengers overall at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were 5.5 per cent down year on year with domestic flights down four per cent, and international traffic faring the worst with a decline of 9.5 per cent.

Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp chief economist said that airlines within the region are seeing uplift in key areas of business-related travel and "a better increase in import-export activity, which means more flights to Asia, so we've got our fingers crossed for things to improve over the course of the year."

In comparison to neighbouring airport of Long Beach that has been able to stave off steep declines to a mere 0.2 per cent downturn for 2009 compared to LAX's sister airport in Ontario performance which plunged 21.9 per cent in passengers.

The drop is attributed to carriers reducing or moving out of service such as a recent drop by Aeromexico of its daily round-trip to Guadalajara, Mexico which will now be offered at peak summer season from Ontario from July 1 to August 28.

A memo raising the notion of privatisation of Ontario and Van Nuys is circulating from the office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and five City Council members which is likely to be resorted to in order to plug the US$200 million deficit for fiscal 2009.

(Source: www.schednet.com)