BOARD OF AIRPORT COMMISSIONERS SETS TONE FOR NEW YEAR WITH ADOPTION OF CODE OF ETHICS

(Los Angeles, California -- January 8, 2007) The Board of Airport Commissioners today unanimously adopted a Code of Ethics for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) -- a first for LAWA and a first for any City of Los Angeles department -- in an effort to further enhance an ethical culture.

"This is a great example of a City agency taking ethics seriously and putting words into action," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who has issued directives to all City departments related to the importance of ethics in government. "Earning the public trust through honesty and integrity is critical to City government and I believe the adoption of this Code of Ethics is a wonderful road map to help guide LAWA through its daily decision-making to help fulfill that trust."

Following Mayor Villaraigosa’s lead, the Board adopted a resolution in October 2005 to create an Office of Ethics and Business Conduct to establish new ethical standards for the City’s airports department and to provide a confidential means to report suspected misconduct without fear of retaliation. The Board followed with the adoption of a set of values to help guide the development of a Code of Ethics.

Commission President Alan Rothenberg said, "We want to be clear that this Code of Ethics directly applies to everyone throughout the organization, including commissioners, and that we are committed to and supportive of sustaining an ethical culture. We believe such a culture is truly the cornerstone of a healthy, productive and thriving organization."

Walter Zifkin, chairman of the Board of Airport Commissioners Audit and Ethics Committee, said, "As stewards of the public trust, we are working to nurture an environment in which we hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct and where ethical considerations are a part of everything we do at Los Angeles World Airports."

The Code of Ethics was developed by a working group of LAWA employees, in consultation with the Mayor’s Ethics Advisor and the City Ethics Commission staff. The goal of the working group – which was comprised of employees representing LAWA’s diverse functions and job classifications at all four airports -- was to develop a Code that was values-based rather than rules-based, meaning that commissioners and employees should aspire to more than just the compliance and legality of an issue.

The Code includes expressions of LAWA’s values and 12 provisions that represent key principles, functions and responsibilities that are necessary to create and maintain a professional and ethical workplace to ensure accountability to the public.

Commissioners and LAWA’s more than 3,300 employees will receive and further learn about LAWA’s values and Code through a unique, interactive ethics training session this winter.

Los Angeles World Airports is a City department that owns and operates four airports: Los Angeles International (LAX), LA/Ontario International (ONT), LA/Palmdale Regional (PMD) and Van Nuys (general aviation).

(Note to Editors: A copy of the LAWA Code of Ethics is available at www.lawa.org under "About LAWA", "Governance" and then "Ethics.")