But Questions Remain About Precedent

The Federal Aviation Administration has dropped its opposition to a $3.3 million annual program linking residents around Los Angeles International Airport with jobs at the airport. The agency now says airport revenue may be used to support the program.

That is a 180-degree turnaround from the FAA's original decision, which claimed those jobs were not aviation-related, so they couldn't be supported by federal funds for the airport.

"We are moving this forward," Roger Johnson, deputy executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, to the Associated Press. "It is now in all our new contracts and all of our new agreements."

Another aspect of the program remains in question, however. Airport officials are still discussing employment training parameters with the FAA.

As Aero-News reported in May, the jobs program was a vital part of a settlement resolving lawsuits filed by area residents over modernization efforts at LAX.

Despite the FAA's initial decision to not fund the program, contractors have participated in the program on a voluntary basis. That will likely become mandatory by early next year.

Johnson says the agency is concerned the LAX program could become a model for other cities dealing with resident outcry surrounding airport expansion efforts (hello, Chicago? -- Ed.) The FAA fears it could wind up funding other arrangements, similar to the LAX proposal.

"The FAA is very concerned about precedents," he said.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.lawa.org