Located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys Airport has long been a pillar of the community and plays a critical role in the region’s economy. Home to over 200 businesses and a job provider to thousands of individuals, nearly every resident of the Valley has a connection to the airport or knows someone who does.
The 730-acre property is a hub for travel and local infrastructure and is utilized by police, fire and wildfire services, air ambulances
and search and rescue operations.
As someone who has grown up near and now works adjacent to Van Nuys Airport, I have a firsthand perspective on how the airport is interwoven into the vibrant fabric of the greater Los Angeles community.
VNY is more than just a transportation and logistics center; it’s a historic landmark of the San Fernando Valley, having played a significant role in record-breaking flights, Hollywood film productions and was a U.S. air base in World War II operating as the Van Nuys Air National Guard.
Today, over 75 years since its inception, Van Nuys Airport stands as a beacon of progress in aviation and sustainability. It has evolved into a premier general aviation hub, playing a pivotal role in reducing congestion and bolstering operational efficiency at the surrounding commercial airports.
Van Nuys Airport is a vital source of employment within the San Fernando Valley, providing a diverse range of job opportunities. From skilled pilots and air traffic controllers to dedicated maintenance crews and essential airport personnel, VNY’s workforce is a cornerstone of the local job market. Local businesses benefit significantly from the airport’s presence, contributing more than $2 billion to the Southern California economy.
Home to nearly 20 flight schools, the airport offers educational opportunities, ranging from pilot training courses to formal educational courses in mechanical engineering. Key elements of the Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Fire Department air fleets are also located at VNY to help during wildfire season and other life and safety operations.
One of Van Nuys Airport’s best-kept secrets is that it houses two specially equipped helicopters that function as emergency response vehicles for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles through Helinet Aviation, which was recently misrepresented in media as developing a “70,000-square-foot helicopter monstrosity.” The partnership with Helinet brings a multitude of positive benefits to the region. Helinet’s array of services, which includes facilitating CHLA emergency-response operations throughout Southern California and supporting crucial organ-donor flights to major Los Angeles hospitals, underscores its invaluable role in enhancing community wellbeing.
Van Nuys Airport is at the forefront of sustainability and environmental efforts, underscored by its attainment of a Level 3 Optimization designation in the Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program – the highest certification level before achieving carbon neutrality.
Presently, the airport is dedicated to expediting the adoption of unleaded aviation fuel, a transformative step that substantially reduces carbon emissions, ensuring that it remains firmly on course to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
A misconception regarding Van Nuys Airport is that the airport has the authority to effect substantial changes in aircraft takeoffs and landings. Since 1990, the Federal Aviation Administration has assumed exclusive control over implementing aircraft operation restrictions and imposing fines through the Airport Noise and Capacity Act. As a result, Van Nuys Airport is limited in its ability to restrict or modify when aircraft exit or enter the airport. Despite this, VNY has been largely successful in implementing voluntary programs, such as the Quiet Jet Departure/Fly Friendly Program, the Helicopter Route Altitude Deviation initiative, and Quieter Nights Programs – working closely with tenant groups, pilots, and other operators to reduce flights later on in the evenings, when possible, among other neighborhood disturbances.
Being one of the world’s business general aviation airports comes with great responsibility to the neighboring communities. While it certainly faces its share of challenges, its positive impact on the local economy, environment, and technological advancement cannot be ignored. Rather than advocating for downsizing or closure, let’s unite and collaborate to address concerns, ensuring that Van Nuys Airport remains a shining symbol of opportunity and progress in the heart of the San Fernando Valley.
Nancy Hoffman Vanyek is the chief executive of the Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce.