Plane Nonsense in Burbank

The Keystone Kops must be advising the city of Burbank on airport security. That’s the only explanation for the farce that played out Friday, when Burbank building and safety officials ordered the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport to halt security renovations. This happened on the very morning a judge went against a voter-passed initiative and said such renovations were legal.

City officials said they rushed to stop the renovation work because the airport lacked a building permit. “It’s a health and safety issue,” said Burbank’s city attorney.

It surely is a safety issue. Airports across the country are striving to upgrade security after 9/11, though Burbank officials seem unaware of that. The airport’s governing board--the Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena city councils each appoint three members--rightly wants to add 40,000 square feet to the cramped, 173,000-square-foot terminal building to accommodate additional security checkpoints and huge machines to scan checked baggage.

But Burbank refused to grant a building permit until after Friday’s court date. So the airport board ordered demolition to begin without a permit, saying to delay would keep the airport from meeting a federally mandated deadline.

The city accused the airport of rushing construction to force a crisis that would usurp the city’s hard-won control over airport land use. The airport accused the city of stalling. In other words, it was just another installment in the decades-long battle over expanding the airport, as though 9/11 never happened.

Airport officials have been trying to build a new terminal since 1980 to replace the one built more than 70 years ago for biplanes. Prodded by voters irate over airport noise, Burbank city leaders fought each effort to a standstill until about three years ago.

The two sides agreed to a compromise that would have limited the size of a new terminal. After the plan fell apart, die-hard airport critics launched the initiative drive to stop any future accords. But surely even they never intended to block security improvements.

This is not about fighting airport expansion; it’s about fighting terrorism. Burbank city and airport officials need to be working together to protect the airport and its passengers. It’s time to send the Keystone Kops packing and get serious about security.