72-550: Los Angeles World Airports ( LAWA ) is the airport authority that owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) for the city of Los Angeles , California . LAWA also owns and manages aviation-related property near the Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD). The authority's headquarters are on the grounds of LAX in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westchester . LAWA
144-678: A Shuttle Carrier Aircraft . About 250 major subcontractors supplied various systems and components to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. The structures of the orbiter were manufactured at various companies under contract to Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. The upper and lower forward fuselage, crew compartment, forward reaction control system and aft fuselage were manufactured at Rockwell's Space Transportation Systems Division facility in Downey and were transported overland from Downey to Rockwell's Palmdale, California, assembly facility. The midfuselage
216-460: A $ 12.5 million bond for airport improvements. With a plan and funding in place, the airlines were finally convinced to make the move. After the end of the War, four temporary terminals were quickly erected on the north side of the airport and, on December 9, 1946, American Airlines , Trans World Airlines (TWA), United Airlines , Southwest Airways , and Western Airlines began passenger operations at
288-827: A bus stop served by shuttles to smaller rental car companies. Route X – LAX Employee Lots connects the Central Terminal Area and the Employee Parking Lots. The route has three service patterns: the East Lot route only stops at Terminals 1, 2, 3, and B; the West Lot route only stops at Terminals 4, 5, 6, and 7; and the South Lot route stops at all terminals and also stops at the City Bus Center as Route C. Most transit buses operate from
360-631: A connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail and other transit at the LAX/Metro Transit Center , and a consolidated facility for all airport rental car agencies. The APM project is estimated to cost $ 5.5 billion and is scheduled to begin operation in 2025, with the connection to Metro Rail opening thereafter. LAWA does not operate shuttles to get to the Metro K Line ; however, one seeking to get to/from LAX and
432-473: A connection. In 2019, LAWA reported approximately 88 percent of travelers at LAX were origination and destination passengers, and 12 percent were connecting. It is also the only airport to rank among the top five U.S. airports for both passenger and cargo traffic. LAX serves as a hub , focus city , or operating base for more passenger airlines than any other airport in the United States. Although LAX
504-478: A direct connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. LAX Shuttle route G offers free connections between the Central Terminal Area and the Aviation/LAX station on the C Line , 2.4 miles (3.9 km) away. The LAX Automated People Mover (APM), currently under construction by LAWA, is a 2.25 miles (3.62 km) rail line that will connect the terminal area with long- and short-term parking facilities,
576-628: A five-year contract for architect and engineering services at Plant 42. Current known projects include design, engineering, pre-production, production, modification, flight testing, servicing and repair mission related activities to the following: Two museums are located adjacent to Plant 42: the Blackbird Airpark Museum and the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark . The Blackbird Airpark Museum displays 4 Cold War -era reconnaissance aircraft which were developed by
648-402: A focal point for people coming to the airport. The first of the new passenger buildings, Terminals 7 and 8, were opened for United Airlines on June 25, 1961, following opening festivities that lasted several days. Terminals 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 opened later that same year. There was a major expansion of the airport in the early 1980s, ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games . In November 1983,
720-598: A gate cap at the airport and building a new park on the airport's north side. The distinctive Theme Building in the Googie style was built in 1961 and resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. A restaurant with a sweeping view of the airport is suspended beneath two arches that form the legs. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1992. A $ 4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering ,
792-755: A lease agreement with the USAF to use Air Force Plant 42 runways and to build and operate a small terminal. Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD) began commercial operations in June 1971, but was not able to maintain steady demand with passenger traffic peaking in 1978 with 36,000 passengers before airline services eventually ceased in 1983. Two airlines began operating commercial services at PMD in 1990, but were again unable to maintain demand and ended services in 1998. In June 2007, United Airlines began operating at PMD, but ceased operations in December 2008 citing lack of demand. At
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#1732764945689864-484: A network of emergency landing fields. It provided a pilot in distress with a better alternative than landing on a public road or a farmer's field. In 1940, Palmdale Army Airfield was activated as a United States Army Air Corps (later Air Forces) airfield for use as an emergency landing strip and for B-25 Mitchell medium bomber support training during World War II . It was one of many intermediate fields that were used as auxiliary fields or emergency landing fields by
936-577: A runway complex, and either lease building space from the Air Force (an arrangement commonly referred to as a "GOCO", or Government Owned Contractor Operated) or own their own buildings outright (e.g., Lockheed Martin Skunk Works ). There are eight production sites specially suited for advanced technology and/or "black" programs . Currently, the most well-known contractors at Plant 42 are Boeing , Lockheed Martin , and Northrop Grumman . Previously,
1008-596: A second-level roadway was added, Terminal 1 opened in January 1984 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal opened in June 1984. The original terminals also received expansions and updates in the 1980s. Since 2008, the airport has been undergoing another major expansion. All of the terminals are being refurbished, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal was substantially rebuilt, with a West Gates satellite concourse added. Outside of
1080-574: Is a branch of the city of Los Angeles and is governed by a seven-member Board of Airport Commissioners. The Los Angeles City Charter requires one member to reside within the area surrounding LAX and another member to reside within the area surrounding the Van Nuys Airport. The board is appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and approved by Los Angeles City Council . The Mayor also appoints the executive director who oversees over 4,000 employees and
1152-558: Is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a branch of the Los Angeles city government , that also operates the Van Nuys Airport for general aviation. The airport covers 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land and has four parallel runways. In 2023, LAX handled 75,050,875 passengers, making it the world's eighth-busiest airport , according to the Airports Council International rankings. As
1224-556: Is served by LADOT Commuter Express line 574 to Sylmar and Encino . This bus stop is also served by some of the same routes as the LAX City Bus Center: Los Angeles Metro lines 40 (overnight only), 117 and 232 and Torrance Transit line 8. The FlyAway bus is a nonstop motorcoach/shuttle service run by LAWA , which provides scheduled service between LAX and Union Station in Downtown LA or
1296-417: Is the world's fourth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and eleventh-busiest by cargo traffic , serving over 87 million passengers and 2 million tons of freight and mail in 2018. It is the busiest airport in the state of California, and the fifth-busiest (2022) airport by passenger boardings in the United States. In terms of international passengers, the second busiest airport for international traffic in
1368-532: Is the Antelope Valley's second-largest employer. Northrop Grumman's B-2 final assembly and modification facility is at Palmdale. In February 1999, Department of Defense officials said that depot support for the B-2 would be provided by commercial and military sources. For example, the engines are to be maintained by the Air Force, software support is to be provided by commercial sources, and airframe maintenance
1440-630: Is the busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles area, several other airports serve the region including Burbank , John Wayne (Orange County), Long Beach , Ontario , and San Bernardino . In 1926, the Los Angeles City Council and the Chamber of Commerce recognized the need for the city to have its own airport to tap into the fledgling, but quickly growing, aviation industry. Several locations were considered, but
1512-485: Is to be provided by Northrop Grumman at Palmdale. Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility is where all the individual parts, pieces, and systems of the Space Shuttle came together and were assembled and tested. Upon completion, the spacecraft was turned over to NASA for truck transport to Edwards AFB. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base was where the spacecraft was loaded and unloaded on
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#17327649456891584-500: The Department of Defense , with 412th Test Wing /Operating Location, Air Force Test Center in command. Plant 42 controls more than 5,800 acres (23 km ) of Mojave Desert land north of Avenue P and south of Columbia Way (Avenue M). The western border is Sierra Highway, and the plant extends east to around 40th Street East, south of Avenue N to Avenue P, and 50th Street East north of Avenue N to Columbia Way (Avenue M). It
1656-477: The Korean War in 1950 caused the Air Force to reactivate the property for use in final assembly and flight testing of military jet aircraft. Both the Air Force and its aircraft contractors needed a location away from major population centers - due to sonic booms , other noises and security concerns - but close enough to the major centers of aircraft design and production, while having excellent flying weather
1728-630: The Los Angeles Airport Police sometimes referred to as "LAWAPD","LAXPD", or (APD). LAWAPD is the fourth largest law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County , with more than 1,100 law enforcement, security and staff personnel. LAWAPD has patrolled jointly with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) since the opening of the current terminal area in 1961. On December 9, 2021, LAWA celebrated
1800-686: The United States Air Force in the Antelope Valley, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from downtown Los Angeles . It is also used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ). Plant 42 shares a runway with Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD). Plant 42 is owned by the United States Air Force and operated as a component of Edwards Air Force Base , which is 23 mi (37 km) northeast. Most of its facilities are operated by private contractors to build and maintain military aircraft and their components for
1872-547: The "outboard" runways as little as possible and, between midnight and 6:30am, the air traffic pattern shifts to "Over-Ocean Operations", under which departing aircraft continue to take off to the west, but arriving aircraft also approach from the west, over the ocean. There are times when the Over-Ocean and Westerly operations are not possible, particularly when the winds originate from the east, typically during inclement weather and when Santa Ana winds occur. In those cases,
1944-657: The 1930s, US airports used a two-letter abbreviation and "LA" served as the designation for Los Angeles Airport. With rapid growth in the aviation industry, in 1947, the identifiers were expanded to three letters, and "LA" received an extra letter to become "LAX". The "X" does not have any specific meaning. "LAX" is also used for the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro and by Amtrak for Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles . Runways 24R/06L and 24L/06R (designated
2016-452: The AAF during World War II. Their dispersion along the air routes, their infrequent use, and their U.S. government ownership made them ideal for use by military aircraft. It acted as a sub-base for Muroc Army Airfield and Hammer Army Airfield . Palmdale Army Airfield was declared a surplus facility in 1946 and was purchased by Los Angeles County for use as a municipal airport. The outbreak of
2088-729: The Air Force at this time, established its permanent presence at Plant 42. It signed a lease in 1956 for 237 acres to use Palmdale Airport for final assembly and flight testing. Lockheed's famed "Skunk Works" (a corporate division tasked with clandestine development of black projects ), which developed such aircraft as the U-2 , SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Nighthawk , is at Site 10 of the complex (actually private property with secure access to Plant 42's airfield), near Sierra Highway. It relocated to Plant 42 from its original Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport (now Bob Hope Airport ) site in Burbank after
2160-640: The Employee South Lot. Route E – Economy Parking connects the Central Terminal Area and the West Intermodal Transportation Facility , the airport's economy parking garage. Route M – Metro Connector connects the Central Terminal Area with the Aviation/LAX station on the Metro C Line and the Aviation/Century station on the C Line and K Line . Buses also stop at the "Remote Rental Car Depot",
2232-572: The FlyAway terminal at the Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley . FlyAway buses stop at every LAX terminal in a counter-clockwise direction, starting at terminal 1. The service hours vary based on the line, with most leaving on or near the top of the hour. Buses use the regional system of high-occupancy vehicle lanes and high-occupancy toll lanes ( Metro ExpressLanes ) to expedite their trips. LAX does not currently have
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2304-470: The K Line can travel to Aviation/LAX station on LAWA Route M (Metro Connector), and from there take the C and K Line Link (line 857 ) to Westchester/Veterans station while the rest of the K Line connecting to the APM is being built. United States Air Force Plant 42 United States Air Force Plant 42 ( IATA : PMD , ICAO : KPMD , FAA LID : PMD ) is a classified aircraft manufacturing plant owned by
2376-629: The Kennedy Space Center. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration had been paying the Air Force for use of Plant 42 facilities for the shuttle work. NASA decided in February 2002 to shift space shuttle overhaul and modification work from Palmdale to Florida. On August 7, 2020, J G Contracting of Nipomo, California, received a contract for maintenance, repair, and construction at U.S. Air Force facilities at Plant 42. On August 31, 2021, KAL Architects of Irvine, California, received
2448-710: The LAX City Bus Center, which is located away from the Central Terminal Area on 96th Street, east of Sepulveda Boulevard. LAX Shuttle route C offers free connections between the LAX City Bus Center and the Central Terminal Area. The LAX City Bus Center is served by Beach Cities Transit line 109 to Redondo Beach , Culver CityBus lines 6 and Rapid 6 to Culver City and UCLA , Los Angeles Metro Bus lines 102 to South Gate , 111 to Norwalk , 117 to Downey and 232 to Long Beach , Santa Monica Big Blue Bus lines 3 and Rapid 3 to Santa Monica , and Torrance Transit line 8 to Torrance . During
2520-725: The Lockheed Corporation, while the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark displays 22 aircraft from multiple manufacturers which were designed, built, and flown at Plant 42. The origins of Plant 42 go to the early 1930s, when a small airstrip was built in the desert. It was listed in 1935 documentation as CAA Intermediate #5 . It was established by the Bureau of Air Commerce (later the Civil Aeronautics Administration ) who maintained
2592-646: The North Airfield Complex) are north of the airport terminals, while runways 25R/07L and 25L/07R (designated the South Airfield Complex) are south of the airport terminals. LAX is located with the Pacific Ocean to the west and residential communities on all other sides. Since 1972, Los Angeles World Airports has adopted a "Preferential Runway Use Policy" to minimize noise levels in the communities closest to LAX. Typically,
2664-582: The U.S. state of California . LAX is located in the Westchester neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, 18 miles (29 km; 16 nmi) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles , with the commercial and residential areas of Westchester to the north, the city of El Segundo to the south, and the city of Inglewood to the east. LAX is the closest airport to the Westside and the South Bay . The airport
2736-611: The United States and its allies. Plant 42 has 3,200,000 square feet (300,000 m ) of industrial space and a replacement value of $ 1.1 billion. Some of its facilities build aircraft, including the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk and other unmanned aircraft . Others maintain and modify aircraft such as the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit bomber. Still others make spare parts. Aerospace contractors at Air Force Plant 42 share
2808-703: The United States, behind only JFK in New York City. The number of aircraft movements (landings and takeoffs) was 700,362 in 2017, the third most of any airport in the world. In the secure area of the airport, tunnels or above-ground connectors link all the terminals except for the regional terminal . LAX Shuttle route A operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers. However, connecting passengers who use these shuttles must leave and then later re-enter security. LAX operates several shuttle routes to connect passengers and employees around
2880-624: The airport area: Route A – Terminal Connector operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers. However, connecting passengers who use these shuttles must leave and then later re-enter security. Route C – City Bus Center connects the Central Terminal Area and the LAX City Bus Center which is served by transit buses from Beach Cities Transit , Culver CityBus , Los Angeles Metro , Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit . Buses on this route also serve
2952-478: The airport shifts to the non-preferred "Easterly Operations" air traffic pattern, under which departing aircraft take off to the east, and arriving aircraft approach from the west. The South Airfield Complex tends to see more operations than the North, because there are a larger number of passenger gates and air cargo operations areas on the south side of the airport grounds. In 2007, the southernmost runway (07R/25L)
Los Angeles World Airports - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-644: The airport's 485 acres of land to more than 1,700 acres and invested more than US$ 500 million in improvements. In April 2013, the city of Ontario filed a legal complaint against LAWA alleging mismanagement of the Ontario Airport, which resulted in a 40% decline of traffic between 2007 and 2013. LAWA countered the complaint, saying the Great Recession was responsible for the decline in activity. After years of negotiations, LAWA sold its interest in ONT to
3096-532: The airport, LAX prefers to use the "inboard" runways (06R/24L and 07L/25R) for departures, closest to the central terminal area and further from residential areas, and the "outboard" runways for arrivals. Historically, over 90% of flights have used the "inboard" departures and "outboard" arrivals scheme. During night-time hours, when there are fewer aircraft operations and residential areas tend to be more noise sensitive, additional changes are made to reduce noise. Between 10pm and 7am, air traffic controllers try to use
3168-440: The airport, with Pan American Airways (Pan Am) joining the next month. The airport was renamed Los Angeles International Airport in 1949. The temporary terminals remained in place for 15 years but quickly became inadequate, especially as air travel entered the " jet age " and other cities invested in modern facilities. Airport leaders once again convinced voters to back a $ 59 million bond on June 5, 1956. The current layout of
3240-475: The city of Palmdale . From 1969 to 1983, LAWA acquired over 17,500 acres through voluntary acquisitions and eminent domain to develop an intercontinental airport. Development of "Palmdale Intercontinental Airport" never materialized due in part to lack of demand for commercial air services, environmental litigation, and opposition from the United States Air Force (USAF) whose Plant 42 is located adjacent to LAWA-acquired land. The agency eventually entered into
3312-483: The day-to-day operations of the two airports. As of April 2024, the Board of Airport Commissioners are as follows: Below is the list of LAWA Executive Directors from 1928 to the present: Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport ( IATA : LAX , ICAO : KLAX , FAA LID : LAX ) is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area , in
3384-589: The end of 2013, LAWA transferred its lease with the USAF to the City of Palmdale . LAWA operates the FlyAway bus service, which runs two shuttle routes between LAX and the following: Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley , and Los Angeles Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles . The agency is currently constructing the LAX Automated People Mover . LAWA maintains its own police department,
3456-557: The end of the Cold War . Its present hangar was constructed in 1968 and the outer walls of the structure were put up in a matter of days. Its hangar originally was built for the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar passenger jet project. Since then, the plant has supported facilities for the production, engineering, final assembly and flight testing of high performance aircraft. During the 1980s it was used by Lockheed to produce
3528-455: The facilities were operated by IT&T ; McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft ; Lockheed California; Norair , a division of Northrop ; and Lockheed Air Terminal . Plant 42 is a GOCO, contractually operated for the Air Force since 1954. But under the Obama administration, the Air Force chose to take over some plant operations that had long been performed by contractors. The airfield is now operated by
3600-523: The final choice was a 640-acre (1.00 sq mi; 260 ha) field in the southern part of Westchester . The location had been promoted by real estate agent William W. Mines, and Mines Field as it was known had already been selected to host the 1928 National Air Races. On August 13, 1928 the city leased the land and the newly formed Department of Airports began converting the fields, once used to grow wheat , barley , and lima beans , into dirt landing strips. The airport opened on October 1, 1928 and
3672-537: The first floor of the Theme Building in 2018. LAWA currently has several plans to modernize LAX, at a cost of $ 30 billion. These include terminal and runway improvements, which will "enhance the passenger experience, reduce overcrowding, and provide airport access to the latest class of very large passenger aircraft"; this will bring the number of LAX's total gates from 146 to 182. Recently completed improvements include: Future improvements include: It
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#17327649456893744-530: The first structure, Hangar No. 1 , was erected in 1929. The building still stands at the airport, remaining in active use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Over the next year, the airport started to come together: the dirt runway was replaced with an all-weather surface and more hangars, a restaurant, and a control tower were built. On June 7, 1930, the facility was dedicated and renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport. The airport
3816-608: The largest and busiest international airport on the West Coast of the United States , LAX is a major international gateway for the country, serving as a connection point for passengers traveling internationally (such as East and Southeast Asia, Australasia , Mexico, and Central America). The airport holds the record for the world's busiest origin and destination airport, because relative to other airports, many more travelers begin or end their trips in Los Angeles than use it as
3888-438: The loudest operations at an airport are from departing aircraft, with engines operating at high power, so during daytime hours (6:30am to midnight), LAX prefers to operate under the "Westerly Operations" air traffic pattern, named for the prevailing west winds. Under "Westerly Operations", departing aircraft take off to the west, over the ocean, and arriving aircraft approach from the east. To reduce noise to areas north and south of
3960-656: The major airframe manufacturing industry in southern California. The concept for Air Force Plant 42 originated in the challenge of flight testing high performance jet aircraft over heavily populated areas. Following approval of the Master Plan in 1953, the Palmdale Airport officially became Air Force Plant 42; ownership of the installation was transferred to the Federal Government in 1954. With USAF encouragement, Lockheed, looked upon with favor by
4032-544: The newly formed Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) in December 2015 for a total of US$ 190 million. It transferred operational management of the airport to OIAA on November 1, 2016. In 1969, the Los Angeles Department of Airports began searching for a location to build a secondary international airport to relieve congestion at LAX. The location selected was in the Antelope Valley near
4104-591: The opening of its new-state-of-the-art Airport Police Facility (APF)headquarters. The new $ 216 million aviation police facility is the largest in the nation. LAWA raises revenue by collecting aircraft landing fees, in addition to property leases and concession fees from airport tenants. LAWA still owns over 17,500 acres of land in the Antelope Valley that was acquired for the never-developed "Palmdale Intercontinental Airport" and generates revenue by leasing portions of it. Expenditures include runway and building maintenance fees, capital improvements and administration. LAWA
4176-526: The opening, it was known as Mines Field and was little more than a dirt airstrip with no facilities. The first building, the historic Hangar No. 1 , was erected in 1929. In 1930, the facility was renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport, and mostly served general aviation. The facility was pressed into service as a military airfield during World War II. The airport started its conversion into a major passenger airport in 1946, and in 1949 became Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The current U-shaped terminal area
4248-503: The overnight hours, Los Angeles Metro line 40 offers service to Downtown Los Angeles. The LAX City Bus Center will eventually be replaced by the LAX/Metro Transit Center station , which will be connected to the rest of LAX by the Automated People Mover system. There is also a bus stop at Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard that is a 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (0.40 km) walk away from Terminals 1 and 7/8 that
4320-422: The passenger facilities was established in 1958 with a plan to build a series of terminals and parking facilities, arranged in the shape of the letter U, in the central portion of the property. The original plan called for the terminal buildings to be connected at the center of the property by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The dome was never built, but a smaller Theme Building , constructed in the central area, became
4392-637: The terminal area, the LAX West Intermodal Transportation Facility with 4,300 parking spaces opened in 2021, replacing the former Lot C. A new LAX/Metro Transit Center station and a LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ConRAC) are being built. All will be connected to the terminal area by the LAX Automated People Mover . In the near future, airport managers plan to build two more terminals (0 and 9). All together, those projects are expected to cost of $ 14 billion and bring LAX's total gates from 146 to 182. Before
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#17327649456894464-499: The war, the aviation manufacturers located around the airport were busy providing aircraft for the Allied powers , while the flying schools found themselves in high demand. In January 1942, the military assumed control of the airport, stationing fighter planes there, and building naval gun batteries in the ocean dunes to the west. Meanwhile, airport managers published a master plan for the land and, in early 1943, convinced voters to back
4536-403: The world, averaging over 230,000 takeoffs and landings annually. In 1967, the city of Ontario in neighboring San Bernardino County asked the Los Angeles Department of Airports to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement for the operation and management of Ontario International Airport (ONT). The Los Angeles Department of Airports later acquired ONT from the city of Ontario in 1985, and expanded
4608-400: The year around. The land which became Plant 42 fit these criteria. Consequently, the Air Force agreed to purchase the land from Los Angeles County in 1951. The Air Force awarded a contract to Lockheed Aircraft to develop the master plan for the site. The plan was to construct a facility that would meet the requirements of full war mobilization and augment the industrial production potential of
4680-410: Was added in 1961 and expanded several times. LAX is the United States' second busiest airport (as of 2019) following Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport . As the largest and busiest international airport on the U.S. West Coast , LAX is a major international gateway to the United States and also serves as a connection point for passengers traveling internationally. The Van Nuys Airport
4752-600: Was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997 but is no longer in business. Visitors are able to take the elevator up to the observation deck of the "Theme Building", which had previously been closed after the September 11, 2001 attacks for security reasons. A memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks is located on the grounds, as three of the four hijacked planes were originally destined for LAX. The Bob Hope USO expanded and relocated to
4824-482: Was established in 1928 as the Los Angeles Department of Airports for the purpose of operating Los Angeles Municipal Airport, now known as Los Angeles International Airport or simply LAX. The Department of Airports changed its name to Los Angeles World Airports in 1997. Los Angeles World Airports owns and operates two airports: Los Angeles opened its main airport on October 1, 1928. At the time of
4896-417: Was manufactured at Rockwell International's Columbus, Ohio, facility and transported overland to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. The aft orbital maneuvering system/reaction control system pods were manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis, Missouri, and transported by aircraft to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. They were also transported by aircraft from Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility to
4968-751: Was manufactured by General Dynamics, San Diego, California, and transported overland to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. The wings (including elevons) were manufactured by Grumman, Bethpage, Long Island, New York, and transported by ship from New York via the Panama Canal to Long Beach, California, and then transported overland to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. The vertical tail (including rudder/speed brake) were manufactured by Fairchild Republic in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, and transported overland to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. The payload bay doors were manufactured at Rockwell International's Tulsa, Oklahoma, facility and transported overland to Rockwell's Palmdale assembly facility. The body flap
5040-422: Was moved 55 feet (17 m) to the south to accommodate a new central taxiway. Runways in the North Airfield Complex are separated by 700 feet (210 m). There were plans to increase the separation by 260 feet (79 m), which would have allowed a central taxiway between runways to have been built, but faced opposition from residents living north of LAX. These plans were scrapped in 2016, in favor of lifting
5112-434: Was originally built as the Metropolitan Airport and was used by Timm Aircraft Corporation . The airport was purchased by the military in 1942 and operated as the Van Nuys Army Air Field. In 1949, after the end of the war, the Los Angeles Department of Airports acquired the facility and renamed it San Fernando Valley Airport and later Van Nuys Airport (VNY). Today, Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in
5184-528: Was used by private pilots and flying schools, but the city’s vision was that Los Angeles would become the main passenger hub for the area. However, the airport failed to entice any carriers away from the established Burbank Airport or the Grand Central Airport in Glendale. World War II put a pause on any further development of the airport for passenger use. Before the United States entered
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