LA City Council grants contentious lease to Bonseph Helinet LLC
- The Los Angeles City Council approved a five-year lease with Bonseph Helinet LLC for office and hangar space at Van Nuys Airport.
- The decision followed a contentious lawsuit and complaints from competing firms regarding the fairness of the lease process.
- Local residents and advisory councils expressed concerns about the impact of the lease on the community and called for more transparency.
In a significant move for the Van Nuys Airport, the Los Angeles City Council overwhelmingly approved a five-year lease with Bonseph Helinet LLC during a session on December 3, 2024. This lease will allow the aviation company to operate office and hangar space at the airport, with the potential for an extension up to 25 years. The decision came after a contentious debate and a prior lawsuit filed by Bonseph Helinet against the city after their initial lease proposal was rejected in March of the same year. The vote resulted in a notable 11-2 decision, with some council members openly expressing their disagreements over the process that led to this lease approval. Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Hugo Soto-Martinez opposed the new lease due to perceived transparency and fairness issues in how the proposal was handled. They, along with other constituents, highlighted concerns regarding the request for proposal (RFP) process that allegedly favored Bonseph Helinet over other bidders. The council’s decision followed a previous contentious motion settled with Bonseph Helinet, which involved a closed session that passed with a slimmer margin of 8-5. This motion included plans for Bonseph Helinet to drop legal claims against the city in exchange for terms that require them to comply with specific development plans. As part of the redevelopment project, which is valued at $26 million, Bonseph Helinet intends to build two hangars and additional terminal space while also committing to improve the airport’s observation deck. Local residents have raised voices of dissent against the lease, with particular pushback from the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council, which urged the city to reject the lease due to concerns over the bidding process. The advisory body’s recommendations stemmed from complaints filed by other competing firms that felt marginalized and disadvantaged during the bidding process. These controversies underscore the ongoing tension between development interests at the airport and the local community's concerns, raising questions about accountability and the future of economic initiatives at Van Nuys Airport.