Padilla Urges Against Proposal to Expand Hangars at Van Nuys Airport
L.A. Councilwoman Imelda Padilla Thursday urged the Board of Airport Commissioners to deny a proposal to renovate hangars at Van Nuys Airport citing concerns the bidding process violated the City Charter.
In closed session, the five-member board is scheduled to discuss a Los Angeles County Superior Courts lawsuit filed by Bonseph Helinet LLC, which alleged the city failed to renew the helicopter company's lease and a request to upgrade its facilities after environmental concerns were raised by residents. Earlier this year, the City Council denied a 25-year lease with Helinet and agreed that more community input was needed before a contract could be finalized.
Helinet then sued the city in a bid to have its project move forward.
Councilwoman Padilla, who addressed the board Thursday during their meeting at LAX, said the "very big item, that if approved" would have "big impacts in my district."
The elected official represents the Sixth Council District, encompassing Van Nuys Airport and northeast San Fernando Valley communities, such as Lake Balboa, Panorama City, Van Nuys, Arleta and Sun Valley, among others.
Padilla noted Helinet's request for proposal — also known as RFP– was previously approved by the board during a period in which there was no CD6 representative, alluding to a time after former Council President Nury Martinez, who held the seat, resigned following her participation in a leaked audio tape on October 2022.
She explained that Los Angeles World Airports failed to engage with a representative of the district and did not consider ways to maximize such a project for the community's benefit.
The councilwoman further criticized the RFP process that occurred, noting that it failed to be "competitive," meaning other bidders had a fair opportunity in securing the contract.
Padilla showed the commissioners documents such as emails from other businesses that had inquired about the RFP process, but did not receive proper information to pursue the contract.
LAWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to Padilla, during the closed session, LAWA's legal staff would present documents from Helinet offering a community benefit — fixing an observation deck — in exchange for approving their lease.
The councilwoman urged commissioners to deny the proposal.
"What we really need to do is wait and either potentially reopen [the RFP] for a longer period of time so that we can have true competitiveness, and also have a discussion with the council office and the community," Padilla said.
If the board approves the proposal, its recommendation would be considered by the City Council at a future date.
A representative for Helinet did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a letter to the council's Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee dated Feb. 5, William Lee, a former member of the Helinet Board of Advisors, said the proposal would support the company's "important public health services." Helinet provides helicopter services for charter, production, air medical and aircraft management in Los Angeles, such as the Children's Hospital, UCLA, USC, Cedars-Sinai, UCSD and UC Riverside.
He noted the company would provide "much-needed renovations" to the airport's observation area where children and other community members would receive enrichment opportunities.
"There is no greater service one can perform than that of critical life-support services to the surrounding hospitals and the citizens they serve," the letter read. "In short, when one considers the positive impact they have on just-in-time delivery of patients and organs, a caring person can only conclude that their plans to upgrade the facility to meet modern-day mission requirements outweighs any objections of those opposed."
On Feb. 8, at the time the tourism committee discussed Helinet's lease, some residents of the Sixth District opposed it because they said it would lead to an increase in emissions. They claimed Helinet's renovations would expand the use of jets, and in turn lead to more air pollution.
According to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, airports such as Van Nuys Airport that accept federal grants, must accommodate jets at their hangars if they arrive.
Ultimately, the trade committee recommended denying the lease, citing the company's plans to renovate its hangars did not properly mitigate potential environmental impacts — a decision City Council also concurred with.
Council members previously approved two motions introduced by Padilla to develop a specific plan for the airport and create a citizen committee to advise on the development of the site — with the aim of bolstering environmental protections and providing residents more of a say in how the airport is used.
