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Convenience-Hating Angelenos Are Shunning Burbank Airport
The pretty-freakin'-convenient Bob Hope Airport in Burbank (Photo by Karol Franks via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
The passenger numbers at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport are down this year and revenues at the airport aren't rising as fast as projected and it's making us wonder: are you guys nuts?
If you've ever been to the Burbank airport, you know its many virtues. You can drive right up to the gate without waiting in traffic and lines; parking near the airport is cheap and plentiful; you walk right through security and hardly have to slow your gait (except for the shoes thing); there's a train station right there; the food options are no worse than LAX; you get to walk on the Tarmac; and hey, you can pick up a sweatshirt that says Burbank on it at the gift shop!
And yet! The airport has only handled 1.23 million passengers so far this year, down 1% from last year's numbers, the Burbank Leader reports. Meanwhile, LAX passenger numbers are up 8.5%, John Wayne in Orange County is up 2.2%, and even the dreaded Ontario airport ticked up 1.5%.
Even stranger, Burbank's parking revenues rose less than expected - even though the airport nudged up the parking rates.
OK, yes, we'll acknowledge that the Burbank airport is located in Burbank, which is not exactly the hub of cool and interesting things in Southern California. BUR is rarely mentioned by bicoastal rappers in songs about how "fly" they are. But it's not like LAX's Westchester environs are a lot more exciting.
Look, dear LAist reader, we know you're stoked on those microwaved fish sticks at the LAX Gladstone's (Yelp rating: two stars). But seriously, if you don't hate convenient things like saving time, try the easy vibes of the Burbank airport the next time you're jet-setting to that bachelorette party or runaway production. You'll be glad you did - and so will the person dropping you off.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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