LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR I-405 FREEWAY CLOSURE; LAUNCHES LAX WEBSITE WITH TIPS FOR TRAVELERS, AIRPORT WORKERS LAX FlyAway® Nonstop Bus Service Will Operate All Routes

(Los Angeles, California – August 2, 2012)  Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) today announced its general plans for operating its two airports – Los Angeles International (LAX) and Van Nuys general aviation (VNY) – located in the impacted area during the weekend of the I-405 Freeway closure on September 29 and 30, 2012.  LAWA also launched its dedicated webpage containing information and tips for travelers and airport workers to get to and from LAX  during that weekend.

            Airport officials forecast on each weekend day that LAX will serve 172,000 passengers, of which 43,000 will be international travelers; that 20,000 airport-wide employees are scheduled to work; and that approximately 66,000 vehicles will use LAX’s Central Terminal Area roadways.  There are fewer flights scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays than on weekdays, and airlines expect to operate normally.

            Airport officials are encouraging airlines, rental car companies, ground transportation providers, travel agents, tour operators and online discount travel brokers to notify their customers directly.  LAWA also is working to communicate as effectively as possible with all airport tenants to ensure their employees plan ahead so they report to work on time in order to avoid delays due to lack of staffing.

            LAX has a staff of nearly 300 volunteers and customer service representatives, 100 of them speak a combined total of 25 languages.  This staff will receive more specific training on ground transportation options to assist passengers. 

            The LAX FlyAway ® nonstop bus service will operate all four routes at Union Station, Van Nuys,

Westwood and Irvine Station (Orange County).  The Van Nuys service MAY take surface streets to/from  the I-405, traffic permitting.  Otherwise, it will follow the recommended freeway diversion route to

downtown Los Angeles on US 101, the I-110 Harbor and I-105 Century freeways.

            To contribute to the overall goal of reducing the number of vehicles on the roadways during “Carmageddon II” weekend, airport officials recommend travelers:

·         “Ride the Rails” to Union Station and take the FlyAway ® to LAX for only $7 one way.  Metro Rail and Metrolink are the most predictable and reliable alternatives to reaching Union Station.

           o          Metro Rail has recently added 10 more miles to its system, including extending the dedicated Orange Line busway further through San Fernando Valley and the Expo Line to  Culver City.

           o          Metrolink has announced service during that weekend on its Ventura Line and additional capacity (more trains) on its regular weekend schedule for its Antelope Valley Line. 

·         Contribute to reducing the number of vehicles on the roads by using shared-ride transportation to/from LAX, including:  LAX FlyAway ® bus, Metro Rail Green Line, door-to-door shuttle vans, long-distance vans and buses, municipal buses, taxis, limousines, etc.

·         If passengers have an early morning flight, they might opt to arrive and park at LAX the night before and take a courtesy shuttle to/from an LAX-area hotel.

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·         Travelers can also call LAX’s general information operator at (310) 646-5252 and its Public  Relations Office at (424) 646-5260.  The latter number will be staffed live during that weekend.

·         Travelers can also e-mail:  publicrelationsdivision@lawa.org for information and up-to-date information on airport conditions

      Van Nuys Airport generally operates on a skeletal crew during weekends.  The most activities during the weekend of September 28-29 are expected to be news media helicopter operations related to covering traffic.  One helicopter charter service based at VNY has announced special service for September 28-29.