Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is planning to make some major changes after receiving approval from the City Council. These changes have some neighbors vowing to sue.
The project was approved for $4.8 billion on Tuesday. The City Council voted 10 to three to allow the plans to move forward.
The airport's planned improvements include moving the northernmost runway approximately 260 feet closer to the Westchester and Playa del Rey neighborhoods, according to City News Service.
Residents of these areas are skeptical of the airport's claims that the updated runway would accommodate larger, more modern planes in a safer manner, instead believing that it's a ploy to attempt to draw more air traffic to LAX rather than other regional airports, such as the nearby Burbank, John Wayne International and Van Nuys airports.
"There will be a lawsuit," Councilman Bill Rosendahl said. He represents the residents in the district that will be affected.
The dissenting votes from the City Council were cast by Eric Garcetti, a mayoral candidate, and Dennis Zine, a candidate for city attorney in the upcoming election on May 21.
Diego Alvaraz, the project program director, made the argument that the current airfield was built in the 1960s to accommodate planes that were half the size of modern aircraft, which causes landing delays because flights use a "nonstandard" process to arrive at LAX. The landing process is safe, but could be safer, according to officials.
In addition to moving the runway, the project would create a transportation station near the airport for light rail that would connect passengers to terminals through an elevated people mover.
The project has been in development since 2006. It would also demolish terminals one, two and three, consolidate the rental car facility and make road improvements at the airport.
Now that it has passed the City Council, the project will go in front of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Federal Aviation Administration officials for consideration before final approval.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
