RUNNER TO SEEK AIRPORT TAX CUT ACTION SEEN BOOSTING USE.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Trying to add another incentive for airlines to come to Palmdale, Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, has proposed eliminating a state jet-fuel tax of two cents a gallon for fuel sold at airports in state enterprise zones.

By providing an exemption to a state jet fuel tax enacted in 1969, Assembly Bill 243 would benefit efforts to establish an airport at Palmdale and for jet aircraft users at Lancaster's Fox Field, both of which are located inside the Antelope Valley's enterprise zone.

``The idea is to put whatever incentives we can on the table,'' Runner said Thursday.

A Los Angeles County consultant's report released this month suggests that service from Palmdale to such markets as Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and Sacramento is financially viable now because of the area's growing population. The report said smaller jets, such as the 70-seat Bombardier Aerospace CRJ-700, would be a good fit for that service.

The CRJ-700 has a fuel capacity of approximately 2,840 gallons, meaning an airline could save about $57 on every tankful loaded at Palmdale.

A larger jet, such as the Boeing 737-600, which has a fuel capacity of about 6,875 gallons, could save $137 on every tankful.

The incentive could be used by airlines, companies that manufacture, repair, maintain or service aircraft, and the military.

The incentive is limited to airports in enterprise zones, areas designated by the state to receive tax credits on wages and equipment purchases.

Enterprise zones are aimed at spurring job creation in areas that have suffered economically, such as the Antelope Valley was hurt in the 1990s by defense cutbacks.

Runner said he expects to get support for the bill from representatives of Los Angeles-area communities that are eager to see Palmdale's airport operations get going to take away air traffic from Los Angeles International Airport.

Runner also expects to pick up support from lawmakers from the Oakland area, which also has an enterprise zone.

The bill was praised by members of the Palmdale Regional Airport Advisory Council, a support group for the airport that dates back to the 1970s.

``It's another element in the mix,'' said Larry Chimbole, a former Palmdale mayor who was involved in the initial efforts to bring an airport to Palmdale in the 1960s. ``We don't discard anything that can get those airplanes on the runway.''