BOARD OF AIRPORT COMMISSIONERS AWARDS CONTRACT FOR VOLUNTARY AIRPORT LOW EMISSIONS PROGRAM ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT

(Los Angeles, California – August 18, 2016)  The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) today awarded a $6,189,678 contract to Taft Electric Company, Ventura, Calif., to construct the aircraft parking Remain Overnight (RON) West Electrification Project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently awarded a Volunteer Airport Low Emissions (VALE) Program grant to finance up to 75 percent of the project’s $5.3-million eligible costs.

“Moving forward with the RON West project is just one example of LAX’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability and reducing emissions,” said BOAC President Sean Burton. “Our voluntary efforts are redefining expectations and setting a new bar for airports across the nation.”

 “This project, partially funded by a VALE award, demonstrates our commitment to social responsibility and sustainability,” said LAWA Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint.  “Our team has been making true advances, and our culture is adapting and changing and continuing to push forward on these elements of our mission.”

The RON West Electrification project will install nine 400-mhz electrical Ground Power Units (GPUs) at aircraft parking slots located on the west side of LAX, as well as electrical infrastructure for future installations.  These electric GPUs will allow aircraft parked at these slots to draw power from the airport’s electrical grid instead of using their own onboard Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) or diesel GPU, which both produce emissions and noise.

The VALE Program is available to commercial airports located in compromised air quality areas as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Airports can obtain VALE funding for  cleaner technology that the FAA considers cost effective.  VALE projects also receive emission reduction credits from state governments, which the airports can use to meet future environmental obligations under the Clean Air Act.

The U.S. Congress created the Voluntary Airport Low Emission Program in 2004 to help airport sponsors meet their state-related air-quality responsibilities under the Clean Air Act.  It is funded through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Passenger Facility Charges (PFC).

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

            LAX is the seventh busiest airport in the world and third in the United States.  LAX served more than 74.9 million passengers in 2015.  LAX offers 742 daily nonstop flights to 101 cities in the U.S. and 1,273 weekly nonstop flights to 76 cities in 41 countries on 64 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.1 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 655,564 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2015. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,610 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion.  This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues.  The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital-improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion, $966 million in state and local taxes, and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

            LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.