Los Angeles International Airport

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Los Angeles International Airport

IATA: LAX ICAO: KLAX FAA LID: LAX

Summary

Airport type

Public

Owner

City of Los Angeles

Operator

Los Angeles World Airports

Serves

Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States

Hub for

Alaska Airlines American Airlines Great Lakes Airlines[1] Horizon Air United Airlines

Elevation AMSL Coordinates

126 ft / 38 m 335633N 1182429WCoordinates: 335633N 1182429W

Website

www.lawa.org Maps

FAA airport diagram

LAX
Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area

Runways Direction Length Surface

ft 6L/24R 6R/24L 7L/25R 7R/25L 8,925 10,285 12,091 11,096

m 2,720 3,135 3,685 3,382 Helipads Concrete Concrete Concrete Concrete

Number ft H3 63

Length m 19 Statistics Passengers (2011) 61,859,523 601,416

Surface

Concrete

Aircraft operations (2011) Source: Federal Aviation Administration[2]

Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX) is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, thesecond-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually. LAX is located in southwestern Los Angeles along the Pacific coast in the neighborhood of Westchester, 16 miles (26 km) from the downtown core and is the primary airport of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), an agency of the Los Angeles city government formerly known as the Department of Airports. In 2011, LAX was the eighth busiest airport in the world after Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport,London Heathrow Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dubai International Airport, and Tokyo Haneda International Airport with 61,862,052 passengers.[3][4] LAX is the busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles Area, but other airports including Bob Hope Airport, John Wayne Airport, Long Beach Airport, and LA/Ontario International Airport also serve the region. LAX is also the busiest airport in California and the U.S. West Coast in terms of flight operations, passenger traffic and air cargo activity, leading it to be referred to as the "Gateway to the Pacific Rim."
Contents
[hide]

1 History

o o

1.1 The "X" in LAX 1.2 Aircraft spotting

2 Terminals

o o o o o o o o o

2.1 Terminal 1 2.2 Terminal 2 2.3 Terminal 3 2.4 Terminal 4 2.5 Terminal 5 2.6 Terminal 6 2.7 Terminal 7 2.8 Terminal 8 2.9 Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT)

3 Airlines and destinations

3.1 Scheduled cargo services

4 Traffic and statistics 5 Terminal Connections 6 Airport lounges 7 Ground transportation

o o

7.1 Freeways and roads 7.2 Bus

7.2.1 FlyAway Bus 7.2.2 Metro 7.2.3 Taxis and private shuttles

8 Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles 9 Flight Path Learning Center 10 Other facilities 11 Incidents involving LAX

o o o o

11.1 1930s 11.2 1940s 11.3 1950s 11.4 1960s

o o o o

11.5 1970s 11.6 1980s 11.7 1990s 11.8 2000s

12 Planned modernization 13 In popular culture 14 See also 15 References 16 External links

[edit]History

Los Angeles Municipal Airport on Army Day, c. 1931

Hangar No. 1 was the first structure at LAX, built in 1929, restored in 1990 and remaining in active use. [5]

Los Angeles International Airport withMarina Del Rey in the foreground and Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background

In 1928, the Los Angeles City Council selected 640 acres (1.00 sq mi; 260 ha) in the southern part of Westchester as the site of a new airport for the city. The fields of wheat, barley and lima beans were converted into dirt landing strips without any terminal buildings. It was named Mines Field for William W. Mines, the real estate agent who arranged the deal.[6] The first structure, Hangar No. 1, was erected in 1929 and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[7] Mines Field was dedicated and opened as the official airport of Los Angeles in 1930, and the city purchased it to be a municipal airfield in 1937. The name was officially changed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941, and to Los Angeles International Airport in 1949.[8] The main airline airports for Los Angeles had been Burbank Airport (then known as Union Air Terminal, and later Lockheed) and the Grand Central Airport in Glendale. By 1940 most airlines served Burbank only; in late 1946 most airline flights moved to LAX, but Burbank always retained a few.[9] Mines Field did not extend west of Sepulveda Boulevard (backwards 1939 aerial view); Sepulveda was rerouted c. 1950 to loop around the west ends of the extended east-west runways (now runways 25L and 25R), which by November 1950 were 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long. (Aerial viewlooking south) A tunnel was completed in 1953 allowing Sepulveda Boulevard to revert to straight and pass beneath the two runways; it was the first tunnel of its kind. For the next few years the two runways were 8,500 feet (2,600 m) long.[8] On July 10, 1956 Boeing's 707 prototype (the 367-80) visited LAX. The Los Angeles Times said it was its first appearance at a "commercial airport" outside the Seattle area. [10] The April 1957 Official Airline Guide showed 66 weekday departures on United Airlines, 32 American Airlines, 32 Western Airlines, 27 TWA, 9Southwest, 5 Bonanza Air Lines and 3 Mexicana Airlines; also 22 flights a week on Pan American World Airways and 5 a week on Scandinavian Airlines (the only direct flights to Europe). In 1958 the architecture firm Pereira & Luckman was contracted to design a master plan for the complete redesign of the airport in anticipation of the "jet age." The plan, developed along with architects Welton Becket and Paul Williams, called for a massive series of terminals and parking structures to be built in the

central portion of the property, with these buildings connected at the center by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The plan was never realized, and shortly thereafter the Theme Building was constructed on the site originally intended for the dome. The distinctive white "Theme Building", designed by Pereira & Luckman architect Paul Williams and constructed in 1961 by Robert E. McKee Construction Co., resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. A restaurant with a sweeping view of the airport is suspended beneath two arches that form the legs. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a cultural and historical monument in 1992. A $4 million renovation, withretro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the "Encounter Restaurant" opened there in 1997.[11] Tourists and passengers are able to take the elevator up to the roof of the "Theme Building", which closed after the September 11 attacks for security reasons and reopened to the public on weekends beginning on June 10, 2010. [12] American Airlines' 707-123s flew the first jet passengers out of LAX to New York in January 1959; the first wide-body jets were TWA's Boeing 747s to New York in early 1970.[8] All terminals were originally satellite buildings out in the middle of the tarmac, reached by underground tunnels from the ticketing area. [13] In 1981 the airport began a $700 million expansion in preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics. To streamline traffic flow and ease congestion the U-shaped roadway leading to the terminal entrances was given a second level, with the lower level for arriving passengers and the upper level for departing. Connector buildings between the ticketing areas and the satellite buildings were added, changing the gate layout to a "pier" design and completely enclosing the facilities. Two new terminals (Terminal 1 and the International Terminal) were constructed and Terminal 2, then two decades old, was rebuilt. Multi-story parking structures were also built in the center of the airport.[8] On July 8, 1982, groundbreaking for the two new terminals were conducted by Mayor Tom Bradley and World War II aviator General James Doolittle. The $123 million, 963,000-square-foot (89,500 m2) International Terminal was opened on June 11, 1984, and named in Bradley's honor.[8] On April 29, 1992 the airport was closed for violence and cleanups after the 1992 Los Angeles Riots over the Rodney King beating. The airport was closed again on January 17, 1994 due to the Northridge earthquake. In 1996 a $29 million, 277-foot-tall (84 m) air traffic control tower was built near the Theme Building. [8]

The Theme Building decorated with light displays for the Christmas season

In 2000, before Los Angeles hosted the Democratic National Convention, fifteen glass pylons up to ten stories high were placed in a circle around the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard, with additional pylons of decreasing height following Century Boulevard eastward, evoking a sense of departure and arrival. Conceived by the designers at Selbert Perkins Design, the towers and 30 foot "LAX" letters provide a gateway to the airport and offer a welcoming landmark for visitors.[14] Illuminated from the inside, the pylons slowly cycle through a rainbow of colors that represents the multicultural makeup of Los Angeles and can be customized to celebrate events, holidays or a season. This was part of an overall face-lift that included new signage and various other cosmetic enhancements that was led by Ted Tokio Tanaka Architects. The LAX pylons underwent improvements in 2006, as stage lighting inside the cylinders was replaced with LED lights to conserve energy, make maintenance easier and enable on-demand cycling through various color effects.[15] At various times LAX has been a hub for TWA, Air California, Braniff International, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Pacific Southwest Airlines, US Airways, Western Airlines, and the Flying Tiger Line. Starting in the mid-1990s under Mayors Richard Riordan and James Hahn, modernization and expansion plans for LAX were prepared, only to be stymied by a coalition of residents who live near the airport. They cited increased noise, pollution and traffic impacts of the project. In late 2005, newly elected Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was able to reach a compromise, allowing some modernization to go forward while encouraging future growth among other facilities in the region. It is illegal[dubious discuss] to limit the number of passengers that can use an airport; however, in December 2005 the city agreed to limit their construction of passengers gates to 163. Once passenger usage hits 75 million, a maximum of two gates a year for up to five years will be closed, which theoretically will limit maximum growth to 79 million passengers a year. In exchange, civil lawsuits were abandoned, to allow the city to complete badly needed improvements to the airport.[16] On March 25, 2007 Runway 7R/25L reopened after being shifted 55 feet (17 m) south to prevent runway incursions and prepare the runway for the Airbus A380. Additional storm drains and enhanced runway lighting were added. Runway 25L is now 800 feet (240 m) south of the parallel runway centerline to centerline, allowing a parallel taxiway between the runways; the taxiway was completed in 2008.

On September 18, 2006 Los Angeles World Airports started a $503 million facelift of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Improvements include installing new paging, air conditioning and electrical systems, along with new elevators, escalators, baggage carousels, and a digital sign that will automatically update flight information. Also a large explosives-detection machine will be incorporated into the terminal's underground baggage system, and the federal government will fund part of the system. According to the Los Angeles Times, in February 2007, many Pacific Rim carriers began reducing flights to LAX in favor of more modern airports, such as San Francisco International Airport, due to the aging facilities at Tom Bradley International Terminal.[17] On August 15, 2007 the Los Angeles City Council approved a $1.2 billion project to construct a new 10-gate terminal to handle international flights using the A380.[18] Adding the first new gates built since the early 1980s, the new structure is to be built directly west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal on a site that is occupied mostly by aircraft hangars, with passengers to be ferried to the building by a people mover extending from the terminal.[18] It is expected to be completed in 2012. On March 19, 2007 the Airbus A380 made its debut at LAX, landing on runway 24L. Though LAX was originally supposed to be the first US city to see the A380, Airbus later decided to forgo LAX in favor of New York's JFK. After city officials fought for the super-jumbo jet to land at LAX, the A380 landed simultaneously in New York's JFK airport and LAX.[19] On March 31, 2008 the Los Angeles Times reported that foreign carriers were once again flocking to LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal. The weaker dollar caused a surge in demand for US travel, resulting in airlines either adding new destinations or increasing frequencies to existing routes. New airlines that introduced flights to LAX are Virgin Australia and Emirates Airlines. Emirates has operations to Dubai. In 2011, nonstop service to Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport was inaugurated by Turkish Airlines, providing the first nonstop service between Los Angeles and Turkey, while Iberia Airlines reinstated nonstop Los AngelesMadrid flights as part of its inclusion in the Oneworld alliance. Meanwhile, Korean Airlines, Qantas, Air China, and Air France have all augmented their services to Los Angeles by adding new flights to existing routes. The influx of new flights comes amidst the renovation of the airport and consolidates LAX's status as the premiere international gateway to the Western United States.[20] Qantas launched service with the Airbus A380 on October 20, 2008, using the west side remote gates. Though initially deployed between LAX-SYD, Qantas' A380 service was extended to the popular LAX-Melbourne route. In July 2011, Singapore Airlines began service with the Airbus A380 on a Singapore-Tokyo-Los Angeles routing, followed shortly by Korean Airlines, which initiated nonstop Seoul-Los Angeles service with the Airbus A380 in October 2011. In addition, Air France has announced its intent to launch A380 flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Los Angeles in May 2012. With the addition of these services, LAX boasts five daily flights on the Airbus A380.

Today, the airport is a major hub for United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines,[21] and Great Lakes Airlines and a focus city for Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Air, Air New Zealand,Qantas, Virgin America and Volaris. It also serves as an international gateway for Delta Air Lines. Following United's merger with Continental Airlines, the airport will be the seventh largest hub for United.

[edit]The

"X" in LAX

Before the 1930s, existing airports used a two-letter abbreviation based on the weather stations at the airports. At that time, "LA" served as the designation for Los Angeles Airport. But with the rapid growth in the aviation industry the designations expanded to three letters c. 1947, and "LA" became "LAX." The letter "X" has no specific meaning in this identifier.[22] "LAX" is also used for the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro and by Amtrak for Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

[edit]Aircraft

spotting

The "Imperial Hill" area (also known as Clutter's Park) in El Segundo from which the South Complex of the airport can be viewed is a prime location for aircraft spotting. Another spotting location sits under the final approach for runways 24 L&R on a lawn next to the Westchester In-N-Out Burger. This is one of the few remaining locations in Southern California from which spotters may watch such a wide variety of low-flying commercial airliners from directly underneath a flightpath.

[edit]Terminals

A terminal map of LAX.

LAX handled 28,861,477 enplanements, the total number of passengers boarding an aircraft, in 2008. This makes LAX the third busiest airport in the U.S. in terms of enplanements.[23] It was the world's sixth-busiest airport by passenger traffic[24] and eleventh-busiest by cargo traffic,[25] serving over 60 million passengers and more than two million tons of freight in 2006. It is the busiest airport in the state of California, and the thirdbusiest airport by passenger traffic in the United States based on final 2006 statistics.[26] In terms of international passengers, LAX is the second busiest in the U.S.(behind only JFK in New York City)[27] and 26th worldwide.[28] The airport also claims to be "the world's busiest origin and destination (O & D) airport"in

2011[29] i.e., the busiest airport as measured by the number of passengers who are not changing planes. The number of aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs) has steadily increased to 603,912 in 2011, up from 575,875 in 2010. [4] LAX connects 87 domestic and 69 international destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania. Its most prominent airlines are United Airlines (18.24% of passenger traffic, combined with United Express traffic), American Airlines (14.73%) and Southwest Airlines (12.62%). Other airlines with a presence on a lesser scale include Delta Air Lines (11.12%) and Alaska Airlines (4.74%).[30]

The LAX control tower and Theme Building as seen from Terminal 4

LAX has nine passenger terminals arranged in a "U," also called a "horseshoe." The terminals are served by a shuttle bus. United Airlines/United Express operates the most departures from the airport per day (210), followed by American Airlines/ American Eagle (126), and Southwest Airlines (123).[30] United Airlines operates to the most destinations followed by American Airlines and Alaska Airlines/Horizon. The largest international carriers at LAX include Qantas, Air New Zealand, Air Canada, Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Korean Air. In addition to these terminals, there are 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) of cargo facilities at LAX, and a heliport operated by Bravo Aviation.Qantas[31] has a maintenance facility at LAX even though it's not a hub.

[edit]Terminal

Terminal 1 has 15 gates: 13, 4A4B, 514 and houses AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines and US Airways. AirTran Airways moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 on April 11, 2012 in an effort to combine operations with Southwest. Terminal 1 was built in 1984, it is the largest of all the terminals in terms of number of gates.

[edit]Terminal

Terminal 2 has 11 gates: 2121B, 2222B, 23, 2424B, 2528. It hosts most foreign airlines not using the Tom Bradley international Terminal along with a couple domestic airlines: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air China, Air France/KLM, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, Hawaiian Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, TACA/Lacsa, Virgin Atlantic, Volaris and WestJet. Former tenants of the terminal include Northwest Airlines and Pan American World Airways. Terminal 2 was built in 1962 and was the original international terminal. It was completely torn down and rebuilt in stages between 1984 and 1988 at a cost of $94 million[32]. The rebuilt terminal was designed by Leo A Daly[33]. Terminal 2 has CBP (Customs and Border Protection) facilities to process arriving international passengers. Note: Air France's A380 flight will utilize the International Terminal's A380-capable gates, which are lacking in Terminal 2. Some TACA/LACSA arrivals are processed at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

[edit]Terminal

Terminal 3 has 12 gates: 30, 31A31B, 32, 33A33B, 3436, 37A37B and 38 (gate 39 was removed to make room for Virgin Australia 777 operations at gate 38.) Terminal 3 opened in 1961 and was Trans World Airlines' terminal. It formerly housed some American Airlines flights after that airline acquired Reno Air and TWA in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Eventually, all American flights were moved to Terminal 4. As of April 2012, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Virgin Australia and Virgin America tenant Terminal 3. AirTran Airways relocated to Terminal 1 on April 11, 2012 in an effort to combine operations with Southwest. Note: Virgin America uses Terminal 2 for arrivals from Cancun and Virgin Australia uses Terminal 5 for arrivals from Australia.

[edit]Terminal

Interior view of Terminal 4

Terminal 4 has 14 gates: 4041, 42A42B, 4345 (gate 44 is for the bus to the American Eagle satellite terminal), 46A46B, 47A47B, 48A48B, 49A. Terminal 4 was built in 1961 and, in 2001, was renovated at a cost of $400 million in order to improve the appearance and functionality of the facility. The renovation was

designed by Rivers & Christian[34]. It is home for American Airlines, which operates its West Coast hub at the Airport, and for its subsidiary commuter carrier, American Eagle. American is the only tenant at T4, other than daily Qantas departure to Brisbane. An international arrivals facility serving American Airlines flights was also added in the renovation in 2001. Note: American Eagle flights operate from a remote terminal just east of Terminal 8. Gate 44 serves as the shuttle bus stop at Terminal 4. The remote terminal is also connected by shuttle buses to Terminals 2 (Gate 22A), 3 (Gate 35) and 5, because of Eagle's codesharing with Hawaiian, Alaska andDelta, respectively.

[edit]Terminal

Terminal 5 has 14 gates: 50A-50B, 51A51B, 52A52B, 53A53B, 54A54B, 55A, 5657, 58, 59. Western Airlines occupied this terminal at its opening in 1962, and continued to do so until Western was merged with Delta Air Lines on April 1, 1987. Terminal 5 was re-designed by Gensler[35], expanded to include a connector building between the original satellite and the ticketing facilities and remodeled from 1986 through early 1988. It was unofficially named 'Delta's Oasis at LAX' with the slogan 'Take Five at LAX' when construction was completed in the summer of 1988. Northwest Airlines moved all operations to Terminal 5 and Terminal 6 alongside Delta Air Lines June 30, 2009 as part of their merger with the airline.

[edit]Terminal

A Virgin America Airbus A319 at Terminal 6 prior to the airline's move to Terminal 3.

Terminal 6 has 14 gates: 6063, 64A64B, 65A-65B, 66, 67, 68A68B, 69A69B. Parts of this terminal have changed little from its opening in 1961; in 1979, new gates were expanded from the main building, as is obvious from the rotunda at the end. Four of these gates have two jetways, which can accommodate large aircraft. Terminal 6 hosts airline tenants with a variety of relationships with the Airport. Continental Airlines originally built the Connector Building (which links the Ticketing and rotunda buildings). United uses the connector gates, supplementing its base at Terminal 7. Delta leases space from the Airport in Terminal 6, in addition to its base at Terminal 5. Most of the rotunda gates can feed arriving passengers into a sterile corridor that shunts them to

Terminal 7's customs and immigration facility. Other airlines, such as Frontier, lease space and operate at Terminal 6 under a monthly tariff agreement. Also, one foreign-flag airline, Copa, departs from Terminal 6. Alaska Airlines in April 2011 agreed to a deal with Los Angeles World Airports to renovate Terminal 6. The airline moved its flights to Terminal 6 on March 20, 2012, and Spirit Airlines was relocated to Terminal 3.[36] Both United and Alaska operate lounges in Terminal 6. Former tenants of the terminal include Continental Airlines until it's memger with United Airlines in 2011 and Eastern Air Lines went bankrupt in 1991.

[edit]Terminal

Terminal 7 has 11 gates: 70A70B, 71A71B, 7273, 74A-74B, 75A75B, 76A, 77A77B. This terminal opened in 1962. Four of these gates have two jetways, which accommodate large aircraft. Terminal 7 is the home to United Airlines. The interior of the terminal was renovated between January 1998 and June 1999 at a cost of $200 million and was designed by HNTB. Added were new gate podiums, increased size of gate areas, relocated concessions, expanded restrooms, new flooring and new signage.[37] Also, the roof of the terminal was raised and new, brighter light fixtures were added in order to provide more overall lighting. [38] The terminal also contains a United Club and International First Class Lounge.

[edit]Terminal

Terminal 8 has 9 gates: 8088. This terminal was added for smaller jets and turboprops in 1988 and formerly served Shuttle by United flights. In 2002, United moved all non-Express flights to Terminals 6 and 7. However, Terminal 8 is now used once again for mainline United flights.

[edit]Tom

Bradley International Terminal (TBIT)

Tom Bradley International Terminal in the early morning

Check-in counters in the Tom Bradley International Terminal

The Tom Bradley International Terminal has 12 gates, including six on the north concourse and six on the south concourse. In addition, there are nine satellite gates for international flights located on the west side of LAX. Passengers are ferried to the west side gates by bus. The terminal hosts most of the major international airlines, with the exception of those housed in Terminal 2. This terminal opened for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and is named in honor of Tom Bradley, the first African-American and longest serving (20 years) mayor of Los Angeles, and champion of LAX. The terminal is located at the west end of the passenger terminal area between Terminals 3 and 4. Tom Bradley International Terminal hosts 27 airlines, and handles 10 million passengers per year. In 2010, modernization efforts resulted in additional space for inline baggage screening, three large alliancealigned lounges plus one unaffiliated lounge (to replace the multiple airline specific lounges) and cosmetic upgrades in the departures and arrivals areas. On November 17, 2008, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled design concepts for LAX's Bradley West and Midfield Concourse projects. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), along with city officials, selected Fentress Architects in association with HNTB to develop a design concept for the modernization of LAX. The emphasis of the modernization is to improve the passenger experience. On February 22, 2010, construction began on the $1.5 billion Bradley West project. The project will add over 1,250,000 square feet (116,000 m2) of shops, restaurants, and passenger lounges, as well as new security screening, customs and immigration, and baggage claim facilities. The terminal's existing two concourses will be demolished and replaced with a larger pair with 18 gates, nine of which will be able to accommodate the A380. The terminal is expected to open in phases beginning in 2012, until the entire Bradley West extension completes in 2014.[39]

[edit]Airlines

and destinations

LAX handles more "origin and destination" (i.e. not connecting) passengers than any other airport in the world.[40] It is the world's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic as of 2011. [4] In terms of international

passengers, LAX is the third-busiest in the U.S. (behind only New York-JFK and Miami International Airport) and 26th worldwide as of October 2011.[28] United Airlines/United Express operates the most departures from the airport followed by American Airlines/American Eagle and Southwest Airlines. United also operates to the most destinations, followed by American and Alaska Airlines/Horizon. Qantas operates the most trans-Pacific destinations (3), with nonstop service to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Air Canada serves the most destinations in Canada (4). Lufthansa serves the most destinations in Europe (2), while Alaska Airlines serve the most destinations in Latin America (7).
Airlines Destinations Terminal

Aeroflot

Moscow-Sheremetyevo

TBIT

Aeromxico

Guadalajara, Mexico City

Aeromxico Connect

Hermosillo, Len/Del Bajo Seasonal: Culiacn

Air Berlin

Berlin-Tegel, Dsseldorf

TBIT

Air Canada

Calgary, Montral-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver

Air China

Beijing-Capital

Air France

Papeete, Paris-Charles de Gaulle

2, TBIT1

Air New Zealand

Auckland, London-Heathrow, Rarotonga

Air Pacific

Nadi

TBIT

Air Tahiti Nui

Papeete, Paris-Charles de Gaulle

TBIT

AirTran Airways operated

Atlanta, Milwaukee [ends August 11, 2012]

Airlines bySouthwest Airlines

Destinations

Terminal

Alaska Airlines

Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Mazatln, Mexico City, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, San Jos del Cabo, Seattle/Tacoma, Vancouver,Washington-National Seasonal: Anchorage

Alaska Airlines operated byHorizon Air

La Paz (Mexico), Loreto (Mexico), Mammoth Lakes, Medford, San Jose (CA), Santa Rosa Seasonal: Sun Valley

Alitalia

Seasonal: Rome-Fiumicino

All Nippon Airways

Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita

TBIT

Allegiant Air

Bellingham, Billings, Des Moines, Eugene, Fargo, Fayetteville (AR), Grand Junction, Idaho Falls, Medford, Missoula, Pasco, Sioux Falls, Springfield (MO),Wichita

American Airlines

Austin, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Las Vegas, Lihue, LondonHeathrow, Miami, Nashville,New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, St. Louis, San Francisco, San Jos del Cabo, Shanghai-Pudong, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, WashingtonDulles,Washington-National Seasonal: Eagle/Vail

American Eagle

Albuquerque, Denver, El Paso, Fresno, Houston-Intercontinental, Monterey, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego,San Jose (CA), Santa Barbara, Santa Fe, Tucson Seasonal: Aspen

4 (Satellite)

Arkefly

Seasonal: Amsterdam

Asiana Airlines

Seoul-Incheon

TBIT

British Airways

London-Heathrow

TBIT

Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong

TBIT

Airlines

Destinations

Terminal

China Airlines

Taipei-Taoyuan

TBIT

China Eastern Airlines Shanghai-Pudong

TBIT

China Southern Airlines

Guangzhou

TBIT

Copa Airlines

Panama City

Delta Air Lines

Atlanta, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Detroit, Guatemala City, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Kansas City [begins August 14, 2012], Kahului, Kona, Lihue,Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York-JFK, Orlando, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Sydney, Tampa, Tokyo-Haneda, TokyoNarita Seasonal: Cancn, Columbus (OH), Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Raleigh/Durham

5,6

Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines

Kansas City [ends August 13, 2012], Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco

El Al

Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion

TBIT

Emirates

Dubai

TBIT

EVA Air

Taipei-Taoyuan

TBIT

Frontier Airlines

Colorado Springs, Denver

Frontier Airlines operated byRepublic Airlines

Denver, Omaha

Great Lakes Airlines

Farmington, Merced, Prescott, Visalia[1]

7 [41]

Airlines

Destinations

Terminal

Hawaiian Airlines

Honolulu Seasonal: Kahului

Iberia

Madrid

TBIT

Japan Airlines

Tokyo-Narita

TBIT

JetBlue Airways

Boston, Fort Lauderdale, New York-JFK

KLM

Amsterdam

Korean Air

So Paulo-Guarulhos, Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo-Narita

TBIT

LAN Airlines

Lima, Santiago de Chile

TBIT

LAN Per

Lima

TBIT

Lufthansa

Frankfurt, Munich

TBIT

Malaysia Airlines

Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo-Narita

TBIT

Philippine Airlines

Manila

TBIT

Qantas2

Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney

TBIT

Singapore Airlines

Singapore, Tokyo-Narita

TBIT

Southwest Airlines

Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Denver, El Paso, HoustonHobby, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee [begins August 12, 2012], Nashville, New Orleans, Oakland, Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose (CA),Tucson

Airlines

Destinations

Terminal

Spirit Airlines

Chicago-O'Hare [ends September 5, 2012], Dallas/Fort Worth [begins April 25, 2013],[42] Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas

Sun Country Airlines

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Swiss International Air Zrich Lines

TBIT

TACA Airlines

San Salvador

TACA Airlines operated byLacsa

Guatemala City, San Jos (Costa Rica), San Salvador

Thai Airways International

Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Seoul-Incheon

TBIT

Transaero

Moscow-Domodedovo

TBIT

Turkish Airlines

Istanbul-Atatrk

TBIT

United Airlines

Baltimore, Boston, Cancn, ChicagoO'Hare, Cleveland, Denver, Guadalajara, Hilo, Honolulu, HoustonIntercontinental, Kahului, Kona, Las Vegas,Len/Del Bajo, Lihue, LondonHeathrow, Melbourne, Mexico City, New Orleans, New YorkJFK, Newark, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Puerto Vallarta, San Francisco, San Jos del Cabo, Shanghai-Pudong, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles Seasonal: Philadelphia

6,7,8

United Express operated byExpressJet Airlines

Durango (Mexico)

United Express operated bySkyWest Airlines

Albuquerque, Austin, Bakersfield, Boise, Carlsbad, Colorado Springs, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Fresno, Imperial, Inyokern, Las Vegas, Monterey,Oklahoma City, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Seattle/Tacoma, St. George, Tucson, Tulsa, Vancouver, Yuma Seasonal: Aspen, Bozeman, Hayden/Steamboat Springs [begins December 22,

7,8

Airlines 2012], Jackson Hole, Montrose

Destinations

Terminal

US Airways

Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix

US Airways Expressoperated by Mesa Airlines

Phoenix

US Airways Express operated by SkyWest Airlines

Phoenix

Virgin America

Boston, Cancn, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, New YorkJFK, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland (OR),[43] San Francisco,Seattle/Tacoma, WashingtonDulles

Virgin Atlantic

London-Heathrow

Virgin Australia

Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney

Volaris

Aguascalientes, Culiacn [begins August 4, 2012], Guadalajara, Mexico City, Morelia, Zacatecas

WestJet

Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver

Notes

^1 Air France operates from both Terminal 2 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). ^2 Qantas flights to/from New YorkJFK are only for non-domestic, connecting traffic.

[edit]Scheduled
Airlines

cargo services
Destinations

ABX Air

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Portland (OR), San Francisco, San Jos (Costa Rica), Seattle/Boeing Field

Airlines

Destinations

AeroUnion

Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey

Air China Cargo

Beijing-Capital

Air Transport International

Toledo

Ameriflight

Phoenix, Tucson

Asiana Cargo

Seoul-Incheon

Atlas Air

Fairbanks, Guam

Cargolux

Calgary, Glasgow-Prestwick, Indianapolis, Luxembourg, Mexico City

Cathay Pacific Cargo

Hong Kong, Vancouver

China Cargo Airlines

Shanghai-Pudong

China Southern Cargo

Shanghai-Pudong

EVA Air Cargo

Anchorage, San Francisco, Taipei-Taoyuan

FedEx Express

Burbank, Fort Worth/Alliance, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Memphis, Newark, Oakland, San Diego, Sydney

Florida West International Airways

Bogot

Kalitta Air

Honolulu

Airlines

Destinations

Korean Air Cargo

Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo-Narita

Lufthansa Cargo

Frankfurt

MasAir

Guadalajara, Mrida, Mexico City, Quito, So Paulo-Viracopos

Nippon Cargo Airlines

Tokyo-Narita

Polar Air Cargo

Anchorage, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong

Singapore Airlines Cargo

Amsterdam, Hong Kong

Southern Air

Seoul-Incheon

UPS Airlines

Dallas/Fort Worth, Louisville

World Airways

Baltimore, San Francisco, Seoul-Incheon

Yangtze River Express

Shanghai-Pudong

[edit]Traffic

and statistics

Busiest International Routes from Los Angeles (October 2010 September 2011)[44]

Rank

Airport

Passengers

Change YoY (%)

London (Heathrow), United Kingdom

1,447,630

4.4

Tokyo (Narita), Japan

1,114,251

9.2

Sydney, Australia

1,104,245

6.5

Seoul (Incheon), South Korea

896,055

0.0

Taipei (Taoyuan), Taiwan

894,670

8.4

Vancouver, Canada

805,000

6.1

Mexico City, Mexico

696,657

7.6

Guadalajara, Mexico

693,928

9.8

Paris (Charles de Gaulle), France

568,912

3.0

10

Toronto, Canada

538,047

22.5

Busiest Domestic Routes from Los Angeles (April 2011 March 2012) [45]

Rank

Airport

Passengers

Carriers

San Francisco, California

1,646,000

American, Delta, Southwest, United, Virgin America

New York (JFK), New York 1,558,000

American, Delta, JetBlue, United, Virgin America

Chicago (O'Hare), Illinois

1,209,000

American, Spirit, United, Virgin America

Las Vegas, Nevada

1,158,000

American, Delta, Southwest, Spirit, United

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

1,100,000

American, United, Virgin America

Honolulu, Hawaii

990,000

American, Delta, Hawaiian, United

Denver, Colorado

941,000

American, Frontier, Southwest, United

Atlanta, Georgia

899,000

AirTran, Delta

Seattle, Washington

775,000

Alaska, United, Virgin America

10

Phoenix, Arizona

751,000

American, Delta, Southwest, United, US Airways

Traffic by calendar year

Passengers

Aircraft Movements

Freight (tons)

Mail (tons)

1994

51,050,275

689,888

1,516,567

186,878

1995

53,909,223

732,639

1,567,248

193,747

1996

57,974,559

763,866

1,696,663

194,091

1997

60,142,588

781,492

1,852,487

212,410

1998

61,215,712

773,569

1,787,400

264,473

1999

64,279,571

779,150

1,884,526

253,695

2000

67,303,182

783,433

2,002,614

246,538

2001

61,606,204

738,433

1,779,065

162,629

2002

56,223,843

645,424

1,869,932

92,422

2003

54,982,838

622,378

1,924,883

97,193

2004

60,704,568

655,097

2,022,911

92,402

2005

61,489,398

650,629

2,048,817

88,371

2006

61,041,066

656,842

2,022,687

80,395

2007

62,438,583

680,954

2,010,820

66,707

2008

59,815,646

622,506

1,723,038

73,505

2009

56,520,843

544,833

1,599,782

64,073

2010

59,069,409

575,835

1,852,791

74,034

2011

61,862,052

603,912

1,773,215

80,442

Source: Los Angeles World Airports [46] [edit]Terminal

Connections

This section does not cite anyreferences or sources.(October 2010)

Most inter-terminal connections require passengers to exit security, then walk or use a shuttle bus to get to the other terminal, then re-clear security. Such connections can be time consuming and do normally require set minimum connections times. A few LAX terminals provide airside connections, which allow connecting passengers to access other terminals without having to re-clear through security. The following airside connections are possible:

Terminals 6, 7, and 8 are all connected airside via walking corridors allowing connecting passengers a seamless connection. The only exception applies to international-arriving passengers in Terminals 6/7 who are making connections. International arrivals still need to exit through customs, then re-clear through security to have access to the departures area.

Terminals 5 and 6 are connected via an airside underground walkway. Terminal 4 was previously connected via this underground walkway but it is currently closed off.

Some airlines provide an airside shuttle bus connection between terminals. For example, Qantas offers a late afternoon/evening shuttle bus for passengers arriving in Terminal 4 to connect with flights departing from the Tom Bradley International Terminal.[47]

[edit]Airport

lounges

Terminal 1 (US Airways Club) Terminal 2 (Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Air New Zealand Koru Club, Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club, Air France Club)

Terminal 4 (American Airlines Admiral's Club, American Airlines Flagship Lounge, Qantas Club) Terminal 5 (Delta Air Lines Sky Club) Terminal 6 (Alaska Airlines Board Room, United Club) Terminal 7 (United Airlines International First Class Lounge, United Club) TBIT (Star Alliance Lounge, SkyTeam Lounge, Oneworld Lounge, reLAX Lounge)

[edit]Ground

transportation

This section needs additionalcitations for verification.(January 2008)

One of the large LAX signs that greet visitors to Los Angeles International Airport. This sign is at the Century Boulevard entrance to the airport.

[edit]Freeways

and roads

LAX can be reached primarily using the Century Boulevard exit (and several more northern exits) on Interstate 405, or the Sepulveda Boulevard (State Route 1) exit on Interstate 105.

[edit]Bus
Out of a number of bus systems, many routes (local, rapid and express) of the LACMTA, Line 8 of Torrance Transit, Line 109 of Beach Cities Transit, and the regular as well as the rapid buses of both the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus system's Line 3 and the Culver CityBus's Line 6 all make stops at the LAX Transit Center in Parking Lot C. on 96th St., where shuttle bus "C" offers free connections to and from every LAX terminal, and at the Green Line Station, where shuttle bus "G" connects to and from the terminals.

[edit]FlyAway Bus
Main article: FlyAway Bus

FlyAway Bus at Los Angeles Union Station.

The FlyAway Bus is a shuttle service run by the LAWA, which travels between one of four off-airport areas: San Fernando Valley (Van Nuys), downtown Los Angeles (Union Station), the Westside (Westwood) and Orange County (Irvine). The shuttle service stops at every LAX terminal. The service hours vary based on the line. All lines use the regional system of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to expedite their trips.

[edit]Metro
Shuttle bus "G" offers a free connection to the Aviation/LAX station on the Metro Green Line. The line was originally intended to connect directly to the airport, but budgetary restraints and opposition from local long-term parking lot owners impeded its progress. A Metro Rail extension to LAX is a part of both LAX and Metro's master plans. Shuttle bus "G" runs every 1015 minutes (synched with the train schedule) from 5am 1:30am. [48]

[edit]Taxis and private shuttles

Taxicab services are operated by nine city-authorized taxi companies and regulated by Authorized Taxicab Supervision Inc. (ATS). ATS maintains a taxicab holding lot under the 96th Street Bridge where, at peak

periods, hundreds of cabs queue up to wait their turn to pull into the central terminal area to pick up riders. A number of private shuttle companies also offer limousine and bus services to LAX airport.

[edit]Coast

Guard Air Station Los Angeles

Main article: Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles The airport also functions as a joint civil-military facility, providing a base for the United States Coast Guard and its Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles facility, operating 4 HH-65 Dolphinhelicopters, which covers Coast Guard operations in various Southern California locations, including Catalina Island. Missions include search and rescue (SAR), Law enforcement, aids to navigation support (such as operating lighthouses) and various military operations. In addition, Coast Guard helicopters assigned to the air station deploy to Coast Guard cutters.

[edit]Flight

Path Learning Center

The light towers, first installed in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in 2000, change colors throughout the night.

The Flight Path Learning Center is a museum located at 6661 Imperial Highway and was formerly known as the "West Imperial Terminal." This building used to house some charter flights (Condor Airlines) and regular scheduled flights by MGM Grand Air. It sat empty for 10 years until it was re-opened as a learning center for LAX. The center contains information on the history of aviation, several pictures of the airport, as well as aircraft scale models, flight attendant uniforms, and general airline memorabilia such as playing cards, china, magazines, signs, even a TWA gate information sign. The museum claims to be "the only aviation museum and research center situated at a major airport and the only facility with a primary emphasis on contributions of civil aviation to the history and development of Southern California".[49] However, there are other museums at major airports including theUdvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum adjacent to Washington Dulles Airport, the Royal Thai Air Force

Museum at Don Muang Airport, the Suomen ilmailumuseo (Finnish Aviation Museum) at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the Frontier of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field, and others.

[edit]Other

facilities

The airport has the administrative offices of Los Angeles World Airports.[50] Continental Airlines once had its corporate headquarters on the airport property. At a 1962 press conference in the office of Mayor of Los Angeles Sam Yorty, Continental Airlines announced that it planned to move its headquarters to Los Angeles in July 1963.[51] In 1963 Continental's headquarters moved to a two story, $2.3 million building on the grounds of the airport.[52][53] The July 2009 Continental Magazine issue stated that the move "underlined Continental's western and Pacific orientation."[54] On July 1, 1983 the airline's headquarters were relocated to the America Tower in the Neartown area of Houston.[55] In addition to Continental, Western Airlines and Flying Tiger Line also had their headquarters on the LAX property.[56][57]