LOS ANGELES, California, USA – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) today closed Runway 7R-25L, the first of four runways currently scheduled for maintenance and federally-mandated Runway Safety Area (RSA) improvements. The one-runway-at-a-time construction work is scheduled to last through 2018 and may cause flight delays similar to those experienced during bad weather conditions.
The runway closures and/or temporary shortenings will allow crews to revise grades, construct new runway safety areas, lighting systems, and navigational aids to comply with federal RSA requirements. When runways are closed for RSA work, crews will take advantage of the time to also conduct runway maintenance and rehabilitation.
Following completion of the RSA projects, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) will perform additional runway and taxiway maintenance projects. These additional projects are currently in planning and the construction dates, runway closures and other impacts associated with these projects are still being determined.
Closures and/or shortening of LAX’s runways are anticipated to continue over the next three years and are scheduled as follows:
• Runway 7R-25L: March 2015 – April 2015
• Runway 6L-24R: June 2015 – October 2015
• Runway 6R-24L: November 2015 – October 2016
• Runway 7L-25R: October 2016 – June 2017
• Additional Runway Maintenance: Dates To Be Determined
Scheduled dates are subject to change.
More than 40 other airports around the United States are also required to meet the new RSA standards. Ontario and Van Nuys Airports have already completed their RSA construction.
To minimize impacts to air travelers, LAX consulted with airline partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the business community to develop a flight management plan during construction. All stakeholders will be working cooperatively to manage flight schedules ahead of and during the closures to minimize customer disruptions.
To increase public understanding of the upcoming closures and their impacts, LAX has produced an informational video which can be viewed here: www.laxishappening.com/runways
For more information about these closures, informational handouts, or to access the animated construction map seen in the informational video, please visit LAXisHappening.com
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- To minimize impacts to air travelers, LAX consulted with airline partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the business community to develop a flight management plan during construction.
- The runway closures and/or temporary shortenings will allow crews to revise grades, construct new runway safety areas, lighting systems, and navigational aids to comply with federal RSA requirements.
- These additional projects are currently in planning and the construction dates, runway closures and other impacts associated with these projects are still being determined.
