FAA Celebrates Step In Renovation Project

The Federal Aviation Administration and the City of Los Angeles marked the completion of a $333 million renovation of the south airfield at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at a ceremony held June 24. The renovation included the construction of a new center taxiway that runs between the airfield's two parallel runways.

The FAA says completion of the taxiway effectively eliminates the main cause of serious runway incidents between runways 7L/25R and 7R/25L.

Before the center taxiway was installed, aircraft that landed on the outer runway would exit on high-speed taxiways that led directly to the inner runway. A number of serious runway incursions occurred when arriving aircraft maneuvered too close to -- or onto -- the inner runway in front of departing aircraft.

The new center taxiway eliminates the direct path arriving planes had to the inner runway, greatly reducing the chances of conflict with departing aircraft. Now, arriving aircraft have to significantly slow down and make sharp left turns onto the center taxiway before turning again onto other taxiways that lead to the gate areas.

Controllers began using completed stretches of the taxiway last year, and since portions of the center taxiway began to be used last August, there hasn't been a single incident on the south airfield.

Phase one of the south airfield project began in June 2006, and involved moving the southernmost runway 55 feet to the south in order to make room for the center taxiway. That relocation was completed in April 2007, when construction on the center taxiway began. FAA contributed nearly $100 million in grants to support the renovation project.

Several other runway safety improvement programs are underway at LAX, including the installation of runway status lights and ASDE-X. Under the runway status lights program, a series of red lights are embedded in the runway pavement to warn pilots if it is unsafe to cross or enter a runway. ASDE-X provides controllers with ground surveillance data collected from a variety of sources, including traditional radar, ADS-B, and aircraft transponders. Both systems are expected to be operational next year.

"Each of these upgrades adds a layer of safety that benefits every one of the 61 million-plus passengers who fly through here each year," stated Wes Timmons, FAA's Director of Runway Safety. "Taken together, these upgrades will go a long way in making this safe airport even safer."

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