Each day 1,700 airplanes fly into and out of Los Angeles International Airport, carrying 61 million passengers and over two million tons of cargo annually. Over 16 million of these passengers are visitors from all over the world, compared to 14.4 million at John F. Kennedy International Airport and 13.6 million at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, making LAX the international gateway for Southern California.

This level of activity ranks LAX as the fifth-busiest airport in the world and second in the U.S. in total cargo value with almost $69 billion. Moreover, LAX ranks seventh among air, land and seaports in the U.S in total freight value, and fourth in total exports with $33.9 billion. One in every 20 jobs in Southern California is linked either directly or indirectly to LAX operations.

Although LAX is a vital economic engine and transportation hub for Southern California, it comes at a price for neighborhoods and beyond local traffic, noise and air quality, as well as clogging major highways such as the San Diego (405) Freeway.

The city recognizes that a high quality of life depends on both good jobs and a clean environment. There must be a partnership between Los Angeles World Airports the department that runs LAX and three other city-owned airports and the surrounding communities.

The city of Los Angeles recently settled six federal and state lawsuits challenging the environmental review for the LAX master plan. While both the city and the plaintiffs were confident in their legal positions, the settlement marked a major step forward.

The surrounding communities will benefit from environmental enhancements, as well as a commitment to revisit the controversial elements of the previous plan and pursue a regional aviation strategy. The city received the ability to construct a new south runway and re-plan LAX, changes that will improve safety and airport operations while reducing community impacts.

Under federal law, L.A. World Airports cannot limit flights into and out of LAX. All parties recognize traffic at LAX will grow to 78.9 million annual passengers by 2015, but that more must be done to mitigate traffic, noise and air pollution. Most importantly, there is agreement that an increasing piece of regional growth must occur at other airports.

Without the settlement, LAX would have grown, but in the worst way: without the ability to modernize the facilities or improve neighborhoods. This was unacceptable.

My goal is to develop a truly regional aviation system, where LAX will continue to serve as an international gateway to the U.S., but also where a growing share of cargo and domestic passengers will go to other regional airports.

First, we will modernize LAX, making it a first-class airport and the premier international gateway to the U.S. This includes over $1 billion invested in moving the south runway to prevent collisions, building new baggage screening systems to allow customers to check their bags at the counter and modernizing the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which will add gates for the new high-capacity Airbus A380. Our work will include the expansion of the FlyAway bus service to LAX, Ontario and Palmdale as an alternative to driving, and new policies to reduce environmental impacts. It also will include a new master plan that addresses security at one of the major terrorist targets in the U.S.

Second, we will focus on expanding domestic operations at Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County and Palmdale Regional Airport. Plans include facilities improvements, expanded marketing efforts and incentives to encourage airlines and passengers to use the airport closest to where they live or work.

Finally, we will work with other cities and counties in the region to improve their airport facilities so each area shares the aviation burden, and no one community bears the majority of environmental impacts from passenger and cargo activity. This is the fair and right thing to do.

To develop the aviation infrastructure to create and sustain high quality jobs, there must be a true partnership with surrounding communities. LAX will continue to be a major economic engine for Southern California, but smart growth demands we increase passenger and cargo flights at other airports. With a regional aviation approach and more investment in environmental mitigations, Southern California’s economy will continue to fly.

*Antonio R. Villaraigosa is mayor of Los Angeles.