Jens Rivera Named Los Angeles Airport Manager

LOS ANGELES, April 4, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has announced the appointment of Jens O. Rivera as airport manager of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), effective today.

Rivera will be directly responsible for the daily operations of LAX, including airfield, terminal and emergency coordination operations. He also will coordinate with a wide range of divisions, including construction and maintenance, landside (ground transportation and parking), airport security, airfield permits, concessions and property and tenant relations. He will interface with the Federal Aviation Administration on airfield safety and air traffic control matters, as well as with the Transportation Security Administration on security-related projects including installation of passenger security screening checkpoints and an in-line baggage screening system.

LAX served 60.7 million passengers and processed two million tons of cargo in 2004.

Since February 2000, Rivera has served as airport manager of Ontario International Airport (ONT), a LAWA airport located in the Inland Empire that handled 6.9 million passengers and 605,000 tons of cargo in 2004. Prior to the ONT appointment, he served as airport manager of Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley from March 1999 to January 2000. From July 1996 to February 1999, Rivera served as acting manager and assistant airport manager at ONT.

Prior to joining LAWA, Rivera held increasingly responsible positions at the Port of Los Angeles, Municipal Auditorium and the Community Development Department. He holds Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Arts degrees from California State University, Long Beach.

Kim Ellis, who has served as chief of operations at ONT, has been appointed interim airport manager of that airport. A civil service process has begun to fill the ONT airport manager position on a permanent basis.

Los Angeles World Airports is a City of Los Angeles department that owns and operates a system of four airports in Southern California: LAX, ONT, Van Nuys and Palmdale Regional.