Politics & Government
Council Asks for More Oversight of Van Nuys Airport
The motion gives the Los Angeles World Airports three specific management options to consider.
The City Council today asked the city's airport-management agency to develop a plan to give more attention to the operation of Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley.
The council unanimously approved a request by Councilmen Tony Cardenas and Mitchell Englander for Los Angeles World Airports officials to report back to the council on three proposed options for greater oversight of the San Fernando Valley airport, which is used primarily for small private and government flights.
Los Angeles World Airports is an independent city department that manages its own budget and is primarily funded by fees tied to the number of passengers that fly in and out of the airports. LAWA manages Los Angeles International, Van Nuys and Ontario International airports.
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Because Van Nuys is the smallest of the airports and is far from LAX -- where the Board of Airport Commissioners holds bi-monthly meetings -- "LAWA has had difficulty in addressing proper attention to Van Nuys Airport and the surrounding community," Cardenas and Englander contend in their motion.
Cardenas, who represents a portion of North Hollywood, said the airport is a major economic driver in the Valley and its operation has long been overlooked.
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"This motion not only ensures that LAWA will take the proper steps to improve operations, and that the community will have a greater voice, but it also guarantees that Van Nuys Airport will continue being a source of pride for the region for years to come," Cardenas said.
The motion gives the agency three specific management options to consider. One would maintain LAWA's management role with detailed plans for more oversight. A second plan would establish a separate board of Van Nuys airport commissioners and a third plan calls for hiring a private management firm to take over the airport's daily operations.
The airport generates more than $1.3 billion for the region's economy, according to data from 2007, Cardenas said. He said capital projects and reconstruction improvements at the airport support more than 12,300 jobs.