Story ID: 
VNY Marks 90 Years in Operation
By: Alexa Rexroth
Caption: Van Nuys Airport marks 90th anniversary with continued expansion.
Word Count: 149
The Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in California is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and continues to be ranked as one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world. To accommodate that traffic, VNY is expecting more than $65 million in upcoming facilities improvement projects. Jet Aviation—one of four FBOs—plans to complete its new 17-acre facility this year. The facility encompasses a 20,000-sq-ft LEED Silver certified FBO terminal and 42,000 sq ft of tenant hangar space.

The airport, originally called Metropolitan Airport, opened in 1928 with a footprint of 80 acres. Today, VNY is home to more than 100 businesses on 730 acres with more than 230,000 takeoffs and landings per year. Nearly 600 aircraft are based at the airport.

The airport contributes $2 billion annually to the Southern California economy and supports more than 10,000 jobs. An estimated 32,000 visitors use VNY each year, contributing to $6 million in visitor expenditures.