PHOTOS: Runway cleanup day at L.A. International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport personnel wearing safety vests or bright-colored T-shirts take part in the first runway walk, picking up debris to clear Runway 24R on the north side of the airport. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A plane lands at LAX as airport workers pick up debris to clear the runway. Participants included LAX-badged workers, airline representatives and other tenants, service providers and employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and Los Angeles World Airports. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Don Freund picks up bits of debris on the runway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A group of women show some of the metal debris they picked up on the runway. So-called foreign object debris is anything that potentially can impair an aircraft’s ability to fly. It can be as small as coins or large as vehicle parts. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Bolts and pieces of metal were among the items picked up along the runway. LAX officials say foreign object debris is a major problem because it can result in costly damage to aircraft and support vehicles, delays in flights schedules and cause injuries to airport personnel. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Dion Fatafehi, station manager for Swiss Air, holds two pieces of debris he collected during the runway cleanup. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
An airplane fuel cap was picked up by a magnetic sweeper working along the runway. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A wrench was among the items found during the runway cleanup. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
LAX workers stand shoulder to shoulder, carrying plastic trash bags as they make their way along Runway 24R to clear it of any debris. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
