A.V. ASKED TO JOIN LAX ANTI-EXPANSION ALLIANCE.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Daily News Staff Writer

Leading the campaign to quash a Los Angeles International Airport expansion plan, El Segundo's mayor appealed Tuesday to Antelope Valley leaders to join other cities that are pushing for a regional solution to airport congestion.

Speaking to the Palmdale Regional Airport Advisory Council, El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon said the growth proposed for LAX will occur only by drawing passengers from the rest of Southern California, to the detriment of LAX's neighbors and at the expense of other Southland airports.

``We need you to join us in our regional airport planning,'' Gordon told the group, which included Palmdale's mayor, mayor pro tem, two former mayors, the Air Force Plant 42 commander, and other business and civic leaders.

The proposed LAX expansion would add a runway and boost the airport's capacity from about 60 million passengers per year to about 98 million, but an environmental impact report on the plan has been delayed until the end of the year. Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has described the expansion as crucial for Southern California's future economic prosperity.

But El Segundo is leading an alliance of 65 cities, counties, transportation agencies and other government entities in pushing for spreading the expected air traffic growth to other airports around Southern California.

Most of the growth in population and jobs over the next 20 years will occur in northern Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire and Orange County, not around LAX, Gordon told the Palmdale leaders.

Leaving air travel concentrated at LAX will just mean more pollution and congestion from passengers and cargo heading there on Southland freeways, he said.

How Antelope Valley leaders will react to Gordon's appeal could become clearer after a meeting today by members of Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich's Palmdale Airport advisory committee, created in response to the LAX plans.

The members will discuss Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford's recommendation that the valley focus on bringing passenger and cargo service to U.S. Air Force Plant 42, where the Los Angeles World Airports department has an agreement allowing commercial flights, rather than pushing for construction of an entirely new airport.

While Palmdale took criticism for not attending the earlier press conference at which the El Segundo-led alliance was announced, Ledford said he believes promoting Plant 42 fits with the alliance's goal of a regional airport traffic plan.

``It fits with opponents and the proponents'' of an LAX expansion, Ledford said Tuesday.