RAND CORPORATION AWARDED CONTRACT TO RECOMMEND STEPS TO IMPLEMENT SHORT-TERM SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS AT LOS ANGELES AND ONTARIO AIRPORTS

(Los Angeles, California – November 7, 2005) The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today awarded a contract to the RAND Corporation to develop an Airport Security Immediate Action Plan for Los Angeles International (LAX) and Ontario International Airports (ONT).

The $900,000 contract calls for the Santa Monica-based RAND Corporation to develop a detailed implementation strategy and program associated with immediate security improvement options the firm recommended in a 2004 feasibility study. The plan will be developed in coordination with a team of representatives from airlines, law enforcement agencies, the Transportation Security Administration, and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) -- the Los Angeles City department that owns and operates LAX, ONT and two other Southern California airports.

The project also is expected to establish a foundation for the long-term by providing a comprehensive assessment and security criteria for airport facility planning. In addition, RAND will develop a comprehensive security technology roadmap to specifically address state-of-the-art technology associated with processing passengers, luggage, cargo, vehicles, perimeter roads, and other applications. Specific examples of the technologies would include explosive detection systems, explosive device detection, automobile bomb detection and cargo screening.

The 2004 RAND study identified a set of near-term options that could be taken to reduce the threat of terrorism at LAX by understanding and reducing LAX’s vulnerabilities.