Ordinance to ban noisy jets from Van Nuys Airport

Van Nuys Airport will phase-out noisy jets over a seven-year period under an ordinance approved today by the Los Angeles City Council.

"This is a landmark ordinance and a confirmation that City Hall and L.A.'s neighborhoods can truly work together to accomplish difficult, significant tasks to improve our quality of life,'' Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

A second reading is not necessary because the vote was unanimous, and the ordinance will take effect in 30 days, according to the mayor's office.

Villaraigosa had supported the phase-out as a mayoral candidate in 2005 and as mayor.

"The phase-out not only benefits the communities surrounding the airport who will hear less noise. Modernizing the fleet is in the economic interest of the jet owners in the long run,'' he said. "When Van Nuys Airport and its jet operators are better neighbors, everyone wins.''

Ron Merkin, a member of the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council, also commended today's 13-0 vote.

"It's time for Van Nuys Airport to be a good neighbor,'' he said.

Once the ordinance takes effect, jets with takeoff noise levels equal or exceeding 85A-weighted decibels will be barred from Van Nuys Airport, and the ban will be expanded two years later to include aircraft hitting 83 decibels.

By the fifth year, aircraft that make more than 80 decibels of noise will be banned. Two years after that, the ban will expand to include aircraft whose takeoff noise is 77 decibels or more.

The noisier jets — also called Stage 2 aircraft — will likely be diverted to five other airports: LAX, Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, the Camarillo and Chino airports and General Fox Airfield.

Exemptions will be made for several types of planes, including government, military and medical aircraft and some aircraft first flown prior to 1950.

Councilman Tony Cardenas said he's been working on the airport noise issue for the full six years he's been a member of the City Council. He said there have been some misperceptions along the way.

"It's very important for people to understand we're not getting rid of the airport,'' he said. "We're phasing out the noisiest aircraft.''

Cardenas said Van Nuys Airport is the busiest general aviation airport in the world and is the "biggest economic engine'' in the San Fernando Valley.

Van Nuys currently has a curfew restricting Stage 2 aircraft from taking off between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., except for medical, emergency, and military flights.

The Encino Neighborhood Council sent a letter to the City Council this week, endorsing the ordinance. The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, meanwhile, called on supporters to show up at City Hall today, saying "let's get rid of noisy Van Nuys Airport jets once and for all.''

But lawyers representing the National Business Aviation Association argued the ordinance is "unreasonable and highly discriminatory.''

In a letter originally submitted to the City Council on May 15, 2009 — and re-submitted this week — attorneys Frank Costello and Jol Silversmith said "there can be no argument that the proposed ordinance would cause serious economic injury to some of our members, as well as other operators, and have a negative economic impact on the surrounding community.''

They claim banning Stage 2 aircraft will not significantly reduce noise at the airport.

"Eliminating five flights per day in 2014 would be a blow to the persons operating and relying on those flights,'' their letter says. "At the same time, eliminating five flights per day at an airport with over 1,000 flights per day cannot be expected to, and would not, be noticed by the public.''

A study presented to the Board of Airport Commissioners projected the ordinance would cost owners and operators of Stage 2 aircraft about $1.45 million. The estimate included the costs of upgrading or replacing aircraft, and costs associated with operating the aircraft to and from the identified diversion airports.