North Runways May Be Altered at LAX

Citing safety and air quality concerns, LAX airport officials are seeking changes to two parallel runways on the north side, proposing to move them farther apart to reduce close calls between aircraft. The proposal could push flights closer to homes, a highly controversial move, which prompted the delay of the airport’s announcement several times. Residents claim that the airport’s safety concerns are misplaced since they have seen no evidence there is a safety problem with the north runways. Rather, they say, the problems with close calls have occurred on the south runways, according to Representative Jane Harman (D-Venice). Currently aircraft land on the outer runway and cross inner runways reserved for takeoffs. Recently, the NTSB cited confusion resulting from airport construction projects for the growing runway incursion problem at the airport. Officials are moving the southernmost runway 55 feet and are planning to build a center taxiway for transit to the terminals after permission from air traffic controllers. They also want to install a similar taxiway on the north side which is often congested because the tails of big jets block the outer runway after the planes land and turn onto taxiways to cross the inner runway. This problem will worsen with the arrival of the Airbus A380 and other new large aircraft.  More