Los Angeles International Airport Breaks Ground on New Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Facility

LOS ANGELES, CA, Nov 12 (MARKET WIRE) --
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa was joined today by
representatives of local and federal elected officials, executives from
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and City fire and airport
departments in breaking ground for a new replacement Aircraft Rescue and
Firefighting (ARFF) facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The $13.5 million Los Angeles Fire Department Station 80 project received
$10.8 million in federal stimulus funding from the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act.

"The new Fire Station 80 at LAX will improve our readiness for an
emergency at the airport, clear the way for further airport
modernization, and provide jobs to help revive our local economy," said
Mayor Villaraigosa. "This Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting facility will
make LAX safer and better prepared to handle any type of emergency, as
well as to accommodate bigger, cleaner, quieter, modern aircraft that
keep pace with the changing world of aviation."

Start of construction on Station 80 marks a key milestone in the
modernization of LAX. The new ARFF station will replace the current 30
year-old structure and will be located midway between the north and south
airfield complexes further west of the passenger terminal area than where
the current station is located. The new station will be double the size of
the current one with approximately 27,500 square feet, including seven
bays to house and maintain rescue vehicles and emergency response
equipment. The new facility is designed to better accommodate the size,
volume and nature of operations at LAX associated with new-generation
aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 and the Boeing B787. It will also
provide living, administrative and training areas for 14 firefighters
assigned to each 24-hour shift. Construction is scheduled to be completed
Fall 2010.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl (11th District which
encompasses LAX) said, "We are creating jobs, reinventing our airport,
and making LAX and the surrounding area a safer place. This is an example
of L.A.'s own economic stimulus package. We could use more projects like
this across the country."

Los Angeles Fire Chief Millage Peaks said, "The Los Angeles Fire
Department has worked in collaboration with the Los Angeles World
Airports staff in the planning and design of a great facility that will
protect the airport for years to come."

"The FAA's mission to provide a safe aviation system will be enhanced by
the presence of this new Los Angeles fire Department facility at LAX,"
said FAA Western-Pacific Regional Administrator William Withycombe.
"Cooperation between the FAA and LAWA has made this facility possible."

Los Angeles World Airports Board of Airport Commissioners Vice President
Valeria C. Velasco said, "Moving forward in modernizing LAX also means
modernizing our rescue and firefighting facilities. The new Station 80
will provide state-of-the-art facilities and more space so that the
firefighters can continue their tradition of maintaining the highest
degree of safety and readiness at LAX as it has done since 1941."

The ARFF construction project is supported by $10,832,000 in Economy
Recovery grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. This
funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The
remainder of the cost is funded by airport revenue bond proceeds. No
funding is coming from the City's general fund.

Airport officials estimate up to 200 jobs at prevailing wages will be
created during this project, including architects, engineers, inspectors,
construction workers, building material fabricators, transport drivers and
administrative support personnel.

As part of the LAX Master Plan Environmental Impact Report, and in
accordance with Los Angeles City and California state regulatory
requirements and consultation with community leaders, LAWA developed
several measures to minimize environmental impacts due to the Station No.
80 construction, including:

-- Recycling of construction materials
-- Reducing the number of trips service vehicles must take to and from
the construction site
-- Designating specific routes that service vehicles must use when
traveling to and from the site
-- Retrofitting equipment and machinery to reduce noise and emissions
-- Continually dampening the work area to reduce dust

Relocation of Station No. 80 will allow the current facility to be
demolished to make way for the Crossfield Taxiway Project, which is
already well underway on other parts of the airfield. This project calls
for relocating further west two taxiways that are adjacent to the west
side of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Completion of the new
crossfield taxiways, which is scheduled for next summer, will allow
construction to begin on new-generation aircraft gates on the west side
of the Bradley terminal.

CONTACTS:
Mayor's Office/Lisa Hansen
(213) 978-0658

LAFD/Chief Ronnie Villanueva
(213) 978-3810

FAA/Ian Gregor
(310) 725-3580

LAWA/Albert Rodriguez
(424) 646-5260

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