Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is the airport authority that owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) for the city of Los Angeles, California. LAWA also owns and manages aviation-related property near the Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD). The authority's headquarters are on the grounds of LAX in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westchester. History LAWA was established in 1928 as the Los Angeles Department of Airports for the purpose of operating Los Angeles Municipal Airport, now known as Los Angeles International Airport or simply LAX. The Department of Airports changed its name to Los Angeles World Airports in 1997. Current Airports Los Angeles World Airports owns and operates two airports: Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles opened its main airport on October 1, 1928. At the time of the opening, it was known as Mines Field and was little more than a dirt airstrip with no facilities. The first building, the historic Hangar No. 1, was erected in 1929. In 1930, the facility was renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport, and mostly served general aviation. The facility was pressed into service as a military airfield during World War II. The airport started its conversion into a major passenger airport in 1946, and in 1949 became Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The current "U" shaped terminal area was added in 1961 and expanded several times. LAX is the United States' second busiest airport following Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. As the largest and busiest international airport on the U.S. West Coast, LAX is a major international gateway to the United States and also serves as a connection point for passengers traveling internationally. Van Nuys Airport The Van Nuys Airport was originally built as the Metropolitan Airport and was used by Timm Aircraft Corporation. The airport was purchased by the military in 1942 and operated as the Van Nuys Army Air Field. In 1949, after the end of the war, the Los Angeles Department of Airports acquired the facility and renamed it San Fernando Valley Airport and later Van Nuys Airport (VNY). Today, Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, averaging over 230,000 takeoffs and landings annually. Former Airports Ontario International Airport In 1967, the city of Ontario in neighboring San Bernardino County asked the Los Angeles Department of Airports to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement for the operation and management