(A Southwest airplane taxis down the runway at San Diego International Airport at Lindbergh Field. Alison St John/KPBS )
Officials at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field have revised the growth forecast for the airport, because both airlines and passengers are being affected by the price of oil. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
The economic downturn may give San Diego leaders a little more breathing room to decide how to expand Lindbergh Field. Reports had suggested the airport would start to run out of space in less than a decade. But a new
analysis
presented to the committee planning Lindbergh’s future suggests passenger growth at the airport has slowed.
Airport Planning Director Keith Wilschetz., says business is projected to be down about 8 percent this fall from last year. But, Wilschetz says, about a third of Lindbergh's traffic is with Southwest Airlines, which is suffering less than other airlines because of its long term fuel purchases. San Diego's diverse economy , with military , tourism and biotech sectors also makes it less vulnerable than other airports.
Wilschetz : We also have almost a 50/50 split of visitors and business traffic here at the airport, so we’re much more diversified in a lot of areas and all those things mean we’re not looking at as big of a hit as most of the airports in the country. So we’re going to be flat for three to five years and then we’re going to start increasing again in four to five years out forecasters tell us.
The Airport is already designing ten new gates for Terminal Two.
A committee, including San Diego’s mayor and other regional leaders, is considering options to expand Lindbergh Field in the long term. That may involve moving terminals over to the north side of the airstrip, closer to Interstate five.
Alison St John, KPBS News.
