Airport Report May 16, 2011

While airport operations at LAX continue to recover to toward the passengers counts last seen during the period prior to Sept 11, 2001, recovery of outlying airports such as LA/Ontario (LA/ONT) remains stalled. Recent news reported plots against LAX as a prime terrorist target. 75% of all air commerce in the entire region remains at LAX. Imagine the impact to our economy if something happens at LAX with the backup capacity to temporarily absorb a catastrophe. Sadly, local special interest businesses downtown continue to push for expansion at LAX instead. Southern California Association of Governments recently added their voice to the call for more airports and the need for local control. We need more airports to meet future demand and this is the only way it will happen!

The ARSAC Positition on north runway safety remains unchanged—moving runways north is unnecessary and costly; New option to move LAX North Runway Complex 260’ north unacceptable.

Yet another revision of the LAX Specific Plan Environmental Impact Study options was revealed today—to move runway 24R 260’ north toward Westchester-Playa Del Rey. It was unacceptable twenty years ago, it was unacceptable five years ago, it remains unacceptable today.

ARSAC continues to demand a safe, secure, and convenient airport at LAX and that air commerce capacity be distributed throughout the region to ensure economic stability and growth now and into the future.

LAX Status Update -October 2010

The region needs a safe, secure, and convenient LAX airport for our economy to thrive. Expansion plan impacts will be felt all over the basin; 1) it will suck up roadway money destined for the entire region, 2) it will add traffic to an already gridlocked 405 freeway, 3) it will add cost to airlines and ultimately travelers, and 4) it will facilitate sky gridlock making navigation less safe.

The no runway movement option remains the most appropriate, but LAWA is expected to push for moving north. The result will be destruction of the Westchester business district and increased resident impacts. It will cost $Billions at a time when LAWA is finding its resources too scarce to start all the facility retrofits immediately needed. All of the options are inadequate and we hope LAWA will listen. The local community will have to use its own design resources to draw an effective 100' south option and then provide it to the LAWA "experts."

LAX Master Plan Chronology

2005: City Council passed Alternative D Master Plan to move the in-board north runway south, close the Central Terminal Area, lengthen the north most runway toward PDR, expand the south runway complex with a center line taxiway to accommodate Group VI aircraft (A380) and add a Manchester Square check in facility and a western terminal near the remote gates. Also the order of precedence was reversed to make the LAX Plan dominant over the Westchester-Playa Del Rey Community Plan.

2006: Lawsuit settled to stop the most onerous portions and get on with fixing LAX. Limit on LAX growth set to 78.9 million annual passengers and regionalization of airport capacity was to be developed and encouraged. Master Plan was to be changed to replace all of the“yellow light” projects during that year plus so that LAX would be improved. Spirit of cooperation with community was promised. El Segundo and Inglewood received extra soundproofing monies; PDR promised return of street lights and restoration of the dunes, air quality study and some other long overdue, previously promised mitigations. Some items i.e. gate electrification were specifically identified; others verbally promised such as restoration of golf course, use of northside development areas. The Settlement called for a new, approved MP by 2008 but that has slipped considerably.

2007-2009: LAWA held“community meetings”calling for expansion north and a full western terminal with defacto ring road. New north runway safety concerns were contrived to justify moving toward Westchester as well as going west to Pershing. Expansion north could to impact one-third to one-half of the business district and more homes on both east and west. LAWA contracted for several“studies”to justify moving north whose results were acceptable only to those proposing expansion. Northside Safety Committee (NORSAC) was formed with NASA/recognized expert professors to answer questions. Runway status lights were partially installed at community request and Mayoral insistence. Expanded TBIT and West (redubbed Midfield) terminal approved to accommodate newer, larger aircraft with 2012 target to accommodate the dozen aircraft per day expected. Ground traffic mitigations not started, but Park One parking area just east of LAX procured.

2010: NORSAC Study confirmed that safety was NOT a sufficient justification for expansion and that it is“very safe”compared to other airports and similar runways. Calls for expansion are renewed with“efficiency”as the rationale. The Master Plan update process will renew with a Notice of Preparation to start an Environmental Impact Report in October.