Idea Could Fly

A recent report in a travel industry publication related an idea whose time may well have come for the Oxnard and Camarillo airports. The city of Indianapolis solicited bids from the private sector for the management of its airport, receiving responses from three companies and the airport authority that currently performs this function.

It seems like an excellent method of replacing the present Department of Airports, which is unwieldy, inefficient and fails to generate the revenue that a private company more attuned to making a profit would produce. Without the hindrance of county government and the need to follow its burdensome procedures, a private company would be free to make appropriate improvements for increasing revenue and could establish commensurate levels of staff. The county could achieve considerable savings by eliminating that part of the Department of Airports not required by law, while receiving a substantial amount of revenue from the successful bidder.

One of the bids Indianapolis received was from the unit of Lockheed Corp. that manages Burbank Airport. Whether Ventura County would find similar interest is unknown, but there’s one way to find out. As a 14-year lessee at Oxnard Airport, I think it’s time for a new approach.

HAS SIMM

Oxnard

Simm is the managing partner of Airport Travel Agency.