Airlines’ Appeal of LAX Fees Is Rejected : Dispute: Decision clears way for L.A. panel to ban from the airport companies refusing to pay higher landing levies. Major air carriers plan counterattack through the courts and media.

Airlines using Los Angeles International Airport lost another round Friday in their court battle against a tripling of landing fees, but they have laid plans to keep fighting the higher costs through the courts, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the media.

By rejecting an appeal by more than 40 airlines, a federal appellate court Friday cleared the way for the Los Angeles Airport Commission to ban those carriers and 36 others that have refused to pay the higher fees.

A showdown between the city and the airlines will not come until next week at the earliest, when the Airport Commission meets to consider how to force the airlines to pay the higher fees.

The commission previously threatened to ban from the airport airlines that refused to pay the fees--which increased in July from $300 to $900 for a typical Boeing 747. A court agreement blocks the city from carrying out the ban before Monday.

“I believe the responsible CEOs of the airlines will pay rather than create a crisis,” said Ted Stein, Airport Commission president.

The Air Transport Assn., which represents the nation’s major airlines, issued a statement expressing dismay at the court decision. The airlines did not announce their next step.

But a memo written by the Transport Assn. and obtained by The Times recommends that the carriers ask the U.S. Supreme Court to order the city to keep the airport open to all carriers, pending a final outcome of the landing fees dispute. If that fails, the trade industry association memo says that the airlines should appeal to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena.

The airlines have been coordinating a campaign against the landing fees with 10 national trade and tourism organizations.

Those organizations said they may place newspaper advertisements in an attempt to win support for their position. A sample advertisement describes the higher landing fees as a “hidden tax on passengers and shippers” and asks customers to express their opposition to Mayor Richard Riordan and the Airport Commission.

Los Angeles officials say the higher fees are needed to operate the airport and to end a 40-year subsidy of the airlines.