LAWA RELEASES REQUEST FOR BIDS TO PURCHASE UP TO 15 ELECTRIC BUSES TO FURTHER REDUCE AIRFIELD VEHICLE EMISSIONS AND IMPROVE AIR QUALITY

Electric buses are just one part of LAWA’s environmental sustainability practices that are detailed in LAWA’s 2016 Sustainability Report

            (Los Angeles, California – October 26, 2017)  Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) recently released a request for bids (RFB) to purchase up to 15 all-electric, zero-emission buses to further reduce air pollutant emissions at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The buses, which will be battery-operated and will measure 60 feet, will be used to transport passengers between airport terminals and remote gates. Once in service, the new buses will join one of the largest airport clean vehicle fleets in the nation, in which approximately 60 percent of LAX’s fleet are powered by an alternative fuel.

            “The addition of up to 15 brand new, battery-operated buses will make a significant contribution to LAWA’s goal of creating cleaner skies for all Angelenos,” said Samantha Bricker, Deputy Executive Director (DED) for LAWA’s Environmental Programs Group. “Other alternative fuel solutions like natural gas and hybrid engines have taken us far, but zero-emission electric vehicles will take us even farther in reducing our carbon footprint.”

            “Our guests deserve a gold-standard experience. That includes providing facilities and transportation options that are safe, reliable, and eco-conscious,” said Michael Christensen, DED for LAWA’s Facilities Maintenance and Utility Group.  “With these new zero-emission buses, we’re taking LAX further into a more modern and cleaner future.”

            This initial purchase will be LAWA’s first step in converting its entire bus fleet of 26 airfield buses to electric power. The current fleet is comprised of 14 diesel-fueled and 12 compressed natural gas-fueled (CNG) buses, and LAWA intends to first replace its diesel-fueled buses with buses purchased through this bid. 

            The RFB was released on Friday, October 20, and calls for the purchase of up to 15 low floor, articulating zero emission, battery electric buses designed for general airfield shuttle services, as well as associated charging equipment. Information for prospective bidders is available at the City of Los Angeles’ Business Assistance Virtual Network (LABAVN) at https://www.labavn.org, and are due at 2:00 PM, local time, on November 30, 2017. An optional pre-bid conference will be held on November 9, though prospective bidders are encouraged to attend.

            More information about LAWA’s sustainability efforts can be found in its 2016 Sustainability Report, which was released earlier this year, and is available The report offers insight into sustainability measures associated with airport operations including water conservation, energy stewardship, noise management, air quality, natural resource management, and sustainable construction practices at both LAX and Van Nuys general aviation (VNY) airports.

In addition to graphs, charts and data associated with sustainability measures through calendar year 2016, the report highlights LAX and VNY sustainability achievements and comparisons, including:

• Water conservation measures that have saved an estimated 396,625 gallons of water every day at LAX, which is enough to fill approximately 1.5 Boeing 777 jets.
• Twenty-three percent of LAX employees participate in LAWA’s award-winning rideshare program that prevented 7.5 million vehicle miles from having to be travelled on Southern California roads, saving an estimated  271,000 gallons of fuel thereby reducing carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by 2,455 metric tons.
• By changing the default printer setting to “double-sided,” LAWA offices have saved over 15 tons of paper. That’s equivalent to 360 trees, or the entire weight of the Los Angeles Rams football team.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

           LAX is the fourth busiest airport in the world, second in the United States, and was named one of Skytrax’ 2017 Top 10 Most Improved Airports.  LAX served more than 80.9 million passengers in 2016.  LAX offers 737 daily nonstop flights to 100 cities in the U.S. and 1,386 weekly nonstop flights to 88 cities in 44 countries on 73 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.2 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 697,138 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2016. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,600 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 also the second most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with 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.

For more information about LAX, follow on Twitter @flyLAXAirport , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport, and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1 .  Information about LAX’s ongoing multi-billion-dollar LAX Modernization Program, as well as tips and shortcuts to help navigate LAX during construction, are available