The umbrella organization representing dozens of cities opposed to the massive LAX expansion plan has finally convinced the airlines to sit down and discuss plans to boost flights at outlying airports.

“We’ve met with Carol Hallett, the head of the Air Transport Association, and she invited us to their next regional planning meeting,” said Rep. Jane Harman, D-Redondo Beach, one of several local congressional representatives who have signed on to the Southern California Regional Airport Authority effort. “It’s the first time we’re meeting with them on this issue of trying to redistribute the growth in flights away from LAX.”

Harman and SCRAA co-founder L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe said they plan to listen to the concerns of the airlines about the cost of adding flights at outlying airports.

“We want to find out from them what financial incentives will be necessary to convince them to go to Ontario, to go to Palmdale, or to George Air Force Base (near Victorville),” Knabe said.

ATA senior vice president of legislative affairs Ed Merlis said the ATA welcomes the meeting. But he said that as long as there are flight restrictions at three outlying airports Burbank, Long Beach and John Wayne in Orange County LAX would need to expand.

“If they want to talk about a regional growth, that’s fine,” Merlis said. “Then lift those restrictions at Burbank, Long Beach and John Wayne and we wouldn’t need to grow so much at LAX.”