Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, will step down in October and join NEOM, a regional development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia, as CEO of airports.
Erbacci was has been with LAWA, which includes Los Angeles International (LAX) and Van Nuys (VNY) general aviation airports, since 2016 and was named CEO in 2020.
He called the work being done at LAWA “truly transformative for our airports and our city,” and said he is proud to have been part of the effort.”
The search for a replacement for Erbacci is underway, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. While the search is underway, Beatrice Hsu, a 10-year veteran of the Board of Airport Commissioners will serve as interim CEO to ensure day to day operations and major projects continue uninterrupted.
Bass thanked Erbacci for his seven years of service to LAWA, during which he oversaw major new projects and guided the airport through the pandemic, and also looked to the future.
“This will be an exciting new chapter at LAWA – our airports are economic engines for the region and the world’s gateway to the U.S. West Coast,” Bass said in a statement. “We will welcome the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, two of the largest events in the world, and will also see many exciting projects to modernize LAX completed, including the Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility, and over two million square feet of terminal space being added within the airport’s existing footprint with the construction of Concourse 0 and Terminal 9. I look forward to ensuring that LAWA has the leadership needed to navigate this important time.”
