Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA): The Authority Behind LAX and VNY
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is the proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles responsible for operating, developing, and maintaining the city's commercial and general aviation airports: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY). LAWA also previously oversaw Santa Monica Airport (SMO) until its closure. As one of the largest airport systems in the world by passenger volume, LAWA manages an enterprise with an annual budget exceeding $1 billion, employing thousands of staff and overseeing a capital improvement program that in the 2020s included the $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), encompassing the Automated People Mover, the Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility, and major roadway reconfigurations in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
LAWA operates under the authority of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), whose five members are appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and confirmed by the City Council. The department is self-supporting from aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues — including airline landing fees, terminal rents, concessions, parking, and ground transportation fees — without relying on city general fund tax revenue. LAWA's strategic plan addresses sustainability (LAX has committed to net-zero carbon by 2045), economic development (the airport system supports over 600,000 jobs in the Southern California economy), and community engagement with the neighborhoods surrounding both LAX and VNY that experience noise impacts from airport operations.
What airports does Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) operate?
LAWA operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY). LAWA previously operated Santa Monica Airport (SMO) until its closure. LAX is one of the five busiest airports in the world by passenger traffic, handling over 75 million passengers annually. VNY is the busiest general aviation airport in the United States by operations count.
How is LAWA governed?
LAWA is governed by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC), a five-member board whose members are appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles and confirmed by the City Council. The board sets policy, approves major contracts and capital projects, and oversees the Executive Director who manages day-to-day airport operations. LAWA operates as a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles.
How is LAX preparing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics?
LAWA's Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) — the largest capital program in airport history at the time of its authorization — includes the Automated People Mover, Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility, and major concourse and terminal upgrades designed to improve passenger processing capacity in preparation for the estimated 15+ million additional visitors expected in Los Angeles during the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
What is LAWA's sustainability commitment?
LAWA has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, in alignment with the City of Los Angeles's Green New Deal. This includes transitioning ground transportation fleets to zero-emission vehicles, pursuing renewable energy for terminal operations, reducing single-occupancy vehicle access through improved transit connections, and working with airlines to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use at LAX.
Los Angeles World Airports Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Los Angeles, Maryland.
| Name | Los Angeles World Airports |
| Address | 1 World Way, Los Angeles CA 90045 Map |
| Phone | (310) 568-8698 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Los Angeles World Airports
LAWA's Economic Impact and Long-Term Vision for Los Angeles Aviation
Los Angeles World Airports generates enormous economic impact for Southern California. The LAX airport complex directly and indirectly supports an estimated 620,000 jobs in the five-county Southern California region, generating over $37 billion in annual economic activity. LAWA's revenues flow entirely back into airport operations and capital improvements, enabling the agency to pursue the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investments needed to keep LAX competitive with peer airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and internationally with major hubs in Asia and the Middle East that have invested heavily in modern terminal facilities. Van Nuys Airport contributes an additional $1.3 billion annually to the regional economy through its general aviation and business aviation operations.
LAWA's community benefits programs address the noise and quality-of-life impacts on neighborhoods surrounding both airports. The Residential Sound Insulation (RSI) Program at LAX has provided soundproofing to thousands of homes in the flight path. The Van Nuys Airport Area Plan process engaged hundreds of community members in discussions about the airport's long-term role in the San Fernando Valley. LAWA's noise monitoring network — one of the most sophisticated in the country — provides transparent public access to flight track and noise level data online. The department also operates community education centers, manages public art installations throughout the LAX terminals, and runs economic inclusion programs that have channeled hundreds of millions in contracts to minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the airport construction and services sectors.