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Los Angeles International Airport[a] (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX) is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, 18 miles (29 km; 16 nmi) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles, with the commercial and residential areas of Westchester to the north, the city of El Segundo to the south, and the city of Inglewood to the east. LAX is the closest airport to the Westside and the South Bay.
Los Angeles International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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 LAX in September 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Los Angeles World Airports | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Greater Los Angeles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Westchester, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | October 2, 1928 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Time zone | PST (UTC−08:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC−07:00) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 39 m / 128 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°56′33″N 118°24′29″W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The airport is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a branch of the Los Angeles city government, that also operates the Van Nuys Airport for general aviation. The airport covers 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land and has four parallel runways.[5][8]
In 2023, LAX handled 75,050,875 passengers, making it the world's eighth-busiest airport, according to the Airports Council International rankings.[9] As the largest and busiest international airport on the West Coast of the United States, LAX is a major international gateway for the country, serving as a connection point for passengers traveling internationally (such as East and Southeast Asia, Australasia, Mexico, and Central America).
The airport holds the record for the world's busiest origin and destination airport,[10] because relative to other airports, many more travelers begin or end their trips in Los Angeles than use it as a connection. In 2019, LAWA reported approximately 88 percent of travelers at LAX were origination and destination passengers, and 12 percent were connecting.[11] It is also the only airport to rank among the top five U.S. airports for both passenger and cargo traffic.[12] LAX serves as a hub, focus city, or operating base for more passenger airlines than any other airport in the United States.
Although LAX is the busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles area, several other airports serve the region including Burbank, John Wayne (Orange County), Long Beach, Ontario, and San Bernardino.
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In 1926, the Los Angeles City Council and the Chamber of Commerce recognized the need for the city to have its own airport to tap into the fledgling, but quickly growing, aviation industry. Several locations were considered, but the final choice was a 640-acre (1.00 sq mi; 260 ha) field in the southern part of Westchester. The location had been promoted by real estate agent William W. Mines, and Mines Field as it was known had already been selected to host the 1928 National Air Races. On August 13, 1928 the city leased the land and the newly formed Department of Airports began converting the fields, once used to grow wheat, barley, and lima beans, into dirt landing strips.[14]
The airport opened on October 1, 1928[15] and the first structure, Hangar No. 1, was erected in 1929. The building still stands at the airport, remaining in active use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[16] Over the next year, the airport started to come together: the dirt runway was replaced with an all-weather surface and more hangars, a restaurant, and a control tower were built. On June 7, 1930, the facility was dedicated and renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport.[14]
The airport was used by private pilots and flying schools, but the city’s vision was that Los Angeles would become the main passenger hub for the area. However, the airport failed to entice any carriers away from the established Burbank Airport or the Grand Central Airport in Glendale.[14]
World War II put a pause on any further development of the airport for passenger use. Before the United States entered the war, the aviation manufacturers located around the airport were busy providing aircraft for the Allied powers, while the flying schools found themselves in high demand. In January 1942, the military assumed control of the airport, stationing fighter planes there, and building naval gun batteries in the ocean dunes to the west.[14]
Meanwhile, airport managers published a master plan for the land and, in early 1943, convinced voters to back a $12.5 million bond for airport improvements. With a plan and funding in place, the airlines were finally convinced to make the move.
After the end of the War, four temporary terminals were quickly erected on the north side of the airport and, on December 9, 1946, American Airlines, Trans World Airlines (TWA), United Airlines, Southwest Airways, and Western Airlines began passenger operations at the airport, with Pan American Airways (Pan Am) joining the next month.[15][14] The airport was renamed Los Angeles International Airport in 1949.[17]
The temporary terminals remained in place for 15 years but quickly became inadequate, especially as air travel entered the "jet age" and other cities invested in modern facilities. Airport leaders once again convinced voters to back a $59 million bond on June 5, 1956.
The current layout of the passenger facilities was established in 1958 with a plan to build a series of terminals and parking facilities, arranged in the shape of the letter U, in the central portion of the property. The original plan called for the terminal buildings to be connected at the center of the property by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The dome was never built, but a smaller Theme Building, constructed in the central area, became a focal point for people coming to the airport.
The first of the new passenger buildings, Terminals 7 and 8, were opened for United Airlines on June 25, 1961, following opening festivities that lasted several days.[18][19] Terminals 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 opened later that same year.
There was a major expansion of the airport in the early 1980s, ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. In November 1983, a second-level roadway was added,[20] Terminal 1 opened in January 1984[21] and the Tom Bradley International Terminal opened in June 1984.[22] The original terminals also received expansions and updates in the 1980s.
Since 2008, the airport has been undergoing another major expansion. All of the terminals are being refurbished, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal was substantially rebuilt, with a West Gates satellite concourse added.[23] Outside of the terminal area, the LAX West Intermodal Transportation Facility with 4,300 parking spaces opened in 2021, replacing the former Lot C.[24] A new LAX/Metro Transit Center station and a LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ConRAC) are being built. All will be connected to the terminal area by the LAX Automated People Mover.[25] In the near future,[when?] airport managers plan to build two more terminals (0 and 9).[26] All together, those projects are expected to cost of $14 billion and bring LAX's total gates from 146 to 182.[27]
The "X" in LAX
Before the 1930s, US airports used a two-letter abbreviation and "LA" served as the designation for Los Angeles Airport.[28] With rapid growth in the aviation industry, in 1947, the identifiers were expanded to three letters, and "LA" received an extra letter to become "LAX". The "X" does not have any specific meaning.[29] "LAX" is also used for the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro and by Amtrak for Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles.
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Airfield
Runways 24R/06L and 24L/06R (designated the North Airfield Complex) are north of the airport terminals, while runways 25R/07L and 25L/07R (designated the South Airfield Complex) are south of the airport terminals.
| W | Length | Width | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06L → | 8,926 ft 2,721 m | 150 ft 46 m |
← 24R |
| 06R → | 10,885 ft 3,318 m | 150 ft 46 m |
← 24L |
| Terminal area | |||
| 07L → | 12,923 ft 3,939 m | 150 ft 46 m |
← 25R |
| 07R → | 11,095 ft 3,382 m | 200 ft 61 m |
← 25L |
LAX is located with the Pacific Ocean to the west and residential communities on all other sides. Since 1972, Los Angeles World Airports has adopted a "Preferential Runway Use Policy" to minimize noise levels in the communities closest to LAX.[30]
Typically, the loudest operations at an airport are from departing aircraft, with engines operating at high power, so during daytime hours (6:30am to midnight), LAX prefers to operate under the "Westerly Operations" air traffic pattern, named for the prevailing west winds. Under "Westerly Operations", departing aircraft take off to the west, over the ocean, and arriving aircraft approach from the east. To reduce noise to areas north and south of the airport, LAX prefers to use the "inboard" runways (06R/24L and 07L/25R) for departures, closest to the central terminal area and further from residential areas, and the "outboard" runways for arrivals. Historically, over 90% of flights have used the "inboard" departures and "outboard" arrivals scheme.[30]
During night-time hours, when there are fewer aircraft operations and residential areas tend to be more noise sensitive, additional changes are made to reduce noise. Between 10pm and 7am, air traffic controllers try to use the "outboard" runways as little as possible and, between midnight and 6:30am, the air traffic pattern shifts to "Over-Ocean Operations", under which departing aircraft continue to take off to the west, but arriving aircraft also approach from the west, over the ocean.[30]
There are times when the Over-Ocean and Westerly operations are not possible, particularly when the winds originate from the east, typically during inclement weather and when Santa Ana winds occur. In those cases, the airport shifts to the non-preferred "Easterly Operations" air traffic pattern, under which departing aircraft take off to the east, and arriving aircraft approach from the west.[30]
The South Airfield Complex tends to see more operations than the North, because there are a larger number of passenger gates and air cargo operations areas on the south side of the airport grounds.[30] In 2007, the southernmost runway (07R/25L) was moved 55 feet (17 m) to the south to accommodate a new central taxiway.[31][32] Runways in the North Airfield Complex are separated by 700 feet (210 m).[33] There were plans to increase the separation by 260 feet (79 m), which would have allowed a central taxiway between runways to have been built, but faced opposition from residents living north of LAX.[34] These plans were scrapped in 2016, in favor of lifting a gate cap at the airport and building a new park on the airport's north side.[35]
Terminals
Theme Building
The distinctive Theme Building in the Googie style was built in 1961 and 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 Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1992. A $4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997 but is no longer in business.[37] Visitors are able to take the elevator up to the observation deck of the "Theme Building", which had previously been closed after the September 11, 2001 attacks for security reasons.[38] A memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks is located on the grounds, as three of the four hijacked planes were originally destined for LAX.[39] The Bob Hope USO expanded and relocated to the first floor of the Theme Building in 2018.[40]
Recent and future developments
LAWA currently has several plans to modernize LAX, at a cost of $30 billion.[41] These include terminal and runway improvements, which will "enhance the passenger experience, reduce overcrowding, and provide airport access to the latest class of very large passenger aircraft"; this will bring the number of LAX's total gates from 146 to 182.[27]
Recently completed improvements include:[42]
- Renovations of Terminal 1 (completed 2018),[43] Terminals 7 and 8 (completed 2019),[44] and Terminals 2 and 3 (completed 2023).[45][46]
- Terminal 1.5, a junction building connecting Terminals 1 and 2, with a bus gate to take passengers to boarding gates in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (completed 2021)[47]
- The Midfield Satellite Concourse (aka West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal) adding 15 gates (completed 2021)[48]
- The Economy Parking facility, a 4,300-stall parking structure with passenger pick-up/drop-off areas, to later be connected to the terminal area by the APM (completed 2021)[49]
- A new Los Angeles Airport Police headquarters (completed 2021)[50]
Future improvements include:[42]
- Modernization and connection of Terminals 4 and 5,[51] and modernization of Terminal 6[52] (all under construction)
- Expansion of the Midfield Satellite Concourse adding 8 narrow-body gates (under construction)[53][54]
- LAX Automated People Mover (APM) (under construction)[25]
- LAX/Metro Transit Center station, a Los Angeles Metro Rail and bus station, connected to the terminal area by the APM (under construction)[55]
- LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility, connected to the terminal area by the APM (under construction)[56]
- A high-voltage power receiving station to address persistent issues with the reliability, redundancy and capacity of electric service (under construction)[57]
- Roadway improvements, providing improved access to the above facilities and the Central Terminal Area (under construction)[58]
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Passenger
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Cargo
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It is the world's fourth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and eleventh-busiest by cargo traffic,[229] serving over 87 million passengers and 2 million tons of freight and mail in 2018. It is the busiest airport in the state of California, and the fifth-busiest (2022) airport by passenger boardings in the United States. In terms of international passengers, the second busiest airport for international traffic in the United States, behind only JFK in New York City. The number of aircraft movements (landings and takeoffs) was 700,362 in 2017, the third most of any airport in the world.
| Passenger volume | 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 | 1,789,204 | 80,442 |
| 2012 | 63,688,121 | 605,480 | 1,867,155 | 88,438 |
| 2013 | 66,667,619 | 614,917 | 1,848,764 | 77,286 |
| 2014 | 70,662,212 | 636,706 | 1,921,302 | 79,850 |
| 2015 | 74,936,256 | 655,564 | 2,047,197 | 94,299 |
| 2016 | 80,921,527 | 697,138 | 2,105,941 | 99,394 |
| 2017 | 84,557,968 | 700,362 | 2,279,878 | 109,596 |
| 2018 | 87,534,384 | 707,833 | 2,338,642 | 109,694 |
| 2019 | 88,068,013 | 691,257 | 2,182,711 | 130,536 |
| 2020 | 28,779,527 | 379,364 | 2,329,348 | 135,498 |
| 2021 | 48,007,284 | 506,769 | 2,851,941 | 124,732 |
| 2022 | 65,924,298 | 556,913 | 2,632,536 | 122,034 |
| 2023 | 75,050,851 | 575,097 | 2,288,726 | 79,422 |
| Source: Los Angeles World Airports[230][231] | ||||
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Annual passenger traffic at LAX airport.
See Wikidata query.
Top domestic destinations
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New York–JFK, New York |
1,419,000 | American, Delta, JetBlue |
| 2 |  San Francisco, California |
1,351,000 | Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United |
| 3 |  Las Vegas, Nevada |
1,327,000 | Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, JSX, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country, United |
| 4 |  Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois |
1,176,000 | American, Spirit, United |
| 5 |  Honolulu, Hawaii |
1,151,000 | Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, United |
| 6 |  Newark, New Jersey |
1,082,000 | Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit, United |
| 7 |  Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas |
1,044,000 | American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit |
| 8 |  Seattle/Tacoma, Washington |
1,032,000 | Alaska, American, Delta, United |
| 9 |  Atlanta, Georgia |
992,000 | American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit |
| 10 |  Denver, Colorado |
936,000 | American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United |
Top international destinations
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| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  London–Heathrow, United Kingdom |
1,614,584 | American, British Airways, Delta, United, Virgin Atlantic |
| 2 |  Guadalajara, Mexico |
1,075,169 | Aeroméxico, Alaska, VivaAerobus, Volaris |
| 3 |  Taipei–Taoyuan, Taiwan |
1,033,126 | China Airlines, EVA Air, Starlux Airlines |
| 4 |  Seoul–Incheon, South Korea |
1,013,396 | Air Premia, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air |
| 5 |  Tokyo–Haneda, Japan |
975,413 | All Nippon Airways, American, Delta, Japan Airlines, United |
| 6 |  Vancouver, Canada |
942,140 | Air Canada, American, Flair, United, WestJet |
| 7 | Mexico City, Mexico |
889,492 | Aeroméxico, American, Delta, Viva Aerobus, Volaris |
| 8 |  Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France |
805,477 | Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, Delta |
| 9 |  Sydney, Australia |
761,397 | American, Delta, Qantas, United |
| 10 | San José del Cabo, Mexico |
755,925 | Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, United |
Airline market share
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delta Air Lines | 14,831,038 | 19.76% |
| 2 | American Airlines | 11,217,795 | 14.95% |
| 3 | United Airlines | 11,118,802 | 14.82% |
| 4 | Southwest Airlines | 7,150,151 | 9.53% |
| 5 | Alaska Airlines | 4,859,873 | 6.48 % |
| 6 | Spirit Airlines | 3,822,993 | 5.09% |
| 7 | JetBlue | 3,466,690 | 4.62% |
| 8 | Air Canada | 1,326,357 | 1.77% |
| 9 | Volaris | 1,090,465 | 1.45% |
| 10 | Hawaiian Airlines | 967,719 | 1.29% |
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Transiting between terminals
In the secure area of the airport, tunnels or above-ground connectors link all the terminals except for the regional terminal.
LAX Shuttle route A operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers. However, connecting passengers who use these shuttles must leave and then later re-enter security.
LAX Shuttle routes
LAX operates several shuttle routes to connect passengers and employees around the airport area:[235]
Route A – Terminal Connector operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers. However, connecting passengers who use these shuttles must leave and then later re-enter security.
Route C – City Bus Center connects the Central Terminal Area and the LAX City Bus Center which is served by transit buses from Beach Cities Transit, Culver CityBus, Los Angeles Metro, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit. Buses on this route also serve the Employee South Lot.
Route E – Economy Parking connects the Central Terminal Area and the West Intermodal Transportation Facility, the airport's economy parking garage.
Route M – Metro Connector connects the Central Terminal Area with the Aviation/LAX station on the Metro C Line and the Aviation/Century station on the C Line and K Line. Buses also stop at the "Remote Rental Car Depot", a bus stop served by shuttles to smaller rental car companies.
Route X – LAX Employee Lots connects the Central Terminal Area and the Employee Parking Lots. The route has three service patterns: the East Lot route only stops at Terminals 1, 2, 3, and B; the West Lot route only stops at Terminals 4, 5, 6, and 7; and the South Lot route stops at all terminals and also stops at the City Bus Center as Route C.
Transit buses
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Most transit buses operate from the LAX City Bus Center, which is located away from the Central Terminal Area on 96th Street, east of Sepulveda Boulevard.
LAX Shuttle route C offers free connections between the LAX City Bus Center and the Central Terminal Area.
The LAX City Bus Center is served by Beach Cities Transit line 109 to Redondo Beach, Culver CityBus lines 6 and Rapid 6 to Culver City and UCLA, Los Angeles Metro Bus lines 102 to South Gate, 111 to Norwalk, 117 to Downey and 232 to Long Beach, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus lines 3 and Rapid 3 to Santa Monica, and Torrance Transit line 8 to Torrance. During the overnight hours, Los Angeles Metro line 40 offers service to Downtown Los Angeles.
The LAX City Bus Center will eventually be replaced by the LAX/Metro Transit Center station, which will be connected to the rest of LAX by the Automated People Mover system.
There is also a bus stop at Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard that is a 1⁄4-mile (0.40 km) walk away from Terminals 1 and 7/8 that is served by LADOT Commuter Express line 574 to Sylmar and Encino. This bus stop is also served by some of the same routes as the LAX City Bus Center: Los Angeles Metro lines 40 (overnight only), 117 and 232 and Torrance Transit line 8.
FlyAway Bus
The FlyAway bus is a nonstop motorcoach/shuttle service run by LAWA, which provides scheduled service between LAX and Union Station in Downtown LA or the FlyAway terminal at the Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley.[236]
FlyAway buses stop at every LAX terminal in a counter-clockwise direction, starting at terminal 1. The service hours vary based on the line, with most leaving on or near the top of the hour. Buses use the regional system of high-occupancy vehicle lanes and high-occupancy toll lanes (Metro ExpressLanes) to expedite their trips.
Metro Rail and the LAX Automated People Mover
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LAX does not currently have a direct connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. LAX Shuttle route G offers free connections between the Central Terminal Area and the Aviation/LAX station on the C Line, 2.4 miles (3.9 km) away.
The LAX Automated People Mover (APM), currently under construction by LAWA, is a 2.25 miles (3.62 km) rail line that will connect the terminal area with long- and short-term parking facilities, a connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail and other transit at the LAX/Metro Transit Center, and a consolidated facility for all airport rental car agencies.[237][238]
The APM project is estimated to cost $5.5 billion and is scheduled to begin operation in 2025,[239][240][241][242] with the connection to Metro Rail opening thereafter.[243]
LAWA does not operate shuttles to get to the Metro K Line; however, one seeking to get to/from LAX and the K Line can travel to Aviation/LAX station on LAWA Route M (Metro Connector), and from there take the C and K Line Link (line 857) to Westchester/Veterans station while the rest of the K Line connecting to the APM is being built.
Freeways and roads
LAX's terminals are immediately west of the interchange between Century Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard (State Route 1). Interstate 405 can be reached to the east via Century Boulevard. Interstate 105 is to the south via Sepulveda Boulevard, through the Airport Tunnel that crosses under the airport runways.
Taxis, ride-share and private shuttles
Arriving passengers take a shuttle or walk to the LAXit waiting area east of Terminal 1 for taxi or ride-share pickups.[244][245][246] Taxi services are operated by nine city-authorized taxi companies and regulated by Authorized Taxicab Supervision Inc. (ATS).[247] ATS queues up taxis at the LAXit waiting area.
A number of private shuttle companies also offer limousine and bus services to LAX.[citation needed]
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The airport has the administrative offices of Los Angeles World Airports.[248]
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.[249] In 1963 Continental Airlines headquarters moved to a two-story, $2.3 million building on the grounds of the airport.[250][251] The July 2009 Continental Magazine issue stated that the move "underlined Continental Airlines western and Pacific orientation".[252] On July 1, 1983 the airline's headquarters were relocated to the America Tower in the Neartown area of Houston.[253]
In addition to Continental Airlines, Western Airlines and Flying Tiger Line also had their headquarters at LAX.[254][255]
Flight Path Museum LAX
The Flight Path Museum LAX, formerly known as the Flight Path Learning Center,[256] 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. 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, and a TWA gate information sign.
The museum's library contains an extensive collection of rare items such as aircraft manufacturer company newsletters/magazines, technical manuals for both military and civilian aircraft, industry magazines dating back to World War II and before, historic photographs and other invaluable references on aircraft operation and manufacturing.[257]
The museum has on display "The Spirit of Seventy-Six," a DC-3 that flew in commercial airline service, before serving as a corporate aircraft for Union 76 Oil Company for 32 years. The plane was built in the Douglas Aircraft Company plant in Santa Monica in January 1941, which was a major producer of both commercial and military aircraft.[258]
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During its history there have been numerous incidents, but only the most notable are summarized below:[259]
1930s
- On January 23, 1939, the sole prototype Douglas 7B twin-engine attack bomber, designed and built as a company project, suffered a loss of the vertical fin and rudder during a demonstration flight over Mines Field, flat spun into the parking lot of North American Aviation, and burned. Another source states that the test pilot, in an attempt to impress the Gallic passenger, attempted a snap roll at low altitude with one engine feathered, resulting in a fatal spin.[260] Douglas test pilot Johnny Cable bailed out at 300 feet, his chute unfurled but did not have time to deploy, he was killed on impact, the flight engineer John Parks rode in the airframe and died, but 33-year-old French Air Force Capt. Paul Chemidlin, riding in the aft fuselage near the top turret, survived with a broken leg, severe back injuries, and a slight concussion. The presence of Chemidlin, a representative of a foreign purchasing mission, caused a furor in Congress by isolationists over neutrality and export laws. The type was developed as the Douglas DB-7.[261]
1940s
- On June 1, 1940, the first Douglas R3D-1 for the U.S. Navy, BuNo 1901, crashed at Mines Field, before delivery. The Navy later acquired the privately owned DC-5 prototype, from William E. Boeing as a replacement.[262]
- On November 20, 1940, the prototype NA-73X Mustang, NX19998,[263] first flown October 26, 1940, by test pilot Vance Breese, crashed.[264] According to P-51 designer Edgar Schmued, the NA-73 was lost because test pilot Paul Balfour refused, before a high-speed test run, to go through the takeoff and flight test procedure with Schmued while the aircraft was on the ground, claiming "one airplane was like another". After making two high speed passes over Mines Field, he forgot to put the fuel valve on "reserve" and during the third pass ran out of fuel. An emergency landing in a freshly plowed field caused the wheels to dig in, the aircraft flipped over, the airframe was not rebuilt, the second aircraft being used for subsequent testing.[265]
- On October 26, 1944, WASP pilot Gertrude Tompkins Silver of the 601st Ferrying Squadron, fifth Ferrying Group, Love Field, Dallas, Texas, departed Los Angeles Airport, in a North American P-51D Mustang, 44-15669,[266] at 1600 hrs PWT, headed for the East Coast. She took off into the wind, into an offshore fog bank, and was expected that night at Palm Springs. She never arrived. Owing to a paperwork foul-up, a search did not get under way for several days, and while the eventual search of land and sea was massive, it failed to find a trace of Silver or her plane. She is the only missing WASP pilot. She had married Sgt. Henry Silver one month before her disappearance.[267]
1950s
- On June 30, 1956, United Airlines Flight 718 collided with TWA Flight 2 over the Grand Canyon, killing 128 people. Both aircraft departed LAX, with Flight 718 bound for Chicago Midway, and Flight 2 bound for Kansas City. The cause was found to be issued within the US air traffic control system and aviation law.
1960s
- On January 13, 1969, Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933, a Douglas DC-8-62, crashed into Santa Monica Bay, approximately 6 nautical miles (11 km) west of LAX at 7:21 pm, local time. The aircraft was operating as flight SK933, nearing the completion of a flight from Seattle. Of nine crewmembers, three drowned, while 12 of the 36 passengers also drowned.
- On January 18, 1969, United Airlines Flight 266, a Boeing 727-100 bearing the registration number N7434U, crashed into Santa Monica Bay approximately 11.3 miles (18.2 km) west of LAX at 6:21 pm local time. The aircraft was destroyed, resulting in the death of all 32 passengers and six crew members aboard.
1970s
- On the evening of June 6, 1971, Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a Douglas DC-9 jetliner that had departed LAX on a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, was struck nine minutes after takeoff by a U.S. Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter jet over the San Gabriel Mountains. The midair collision killed all 44 passengers and five crew members aboard the DC-9 airliner and one of two crewmen aboard the military jet.
- On August 4, 1971, Continental Airlines Flight 712, a Boeing 707, collided in midair with a Cessna 150 over Compton. Although the Cessna was destroyed upon landing, there were no fatalities.[268]
- On August 6, 1974, a bomb exploded near the Pan Am ticketing area at Terminal 2; three people were killed and 35 were injured.[269]
- On March 1, 1978, two tires burst in succession on a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 on Continental Airlines Flight 603 during its takeoff roll at LAX and the plane, bound for Honolulu, veered off the runway. A third tire burst and the DC-10's left landing gear collapsed, causing a fuel tank to rupture. Following the aborted takeoff, spilled fuel ignited and enveloped the center portion of the aircraft in flames. During the ensuing emergency evacuation, a husband and wife died when they exited the passenger cabin onto the wing and dropped down directly into the flames. Two additional passengers died of their injuries approximately three months after the accident; 74 others aboard the plane were injured, as were 11 firemen battling the fire.
- On the evening of March 10, 1979, Swift Aire Flight 235, a twin-engine Aerospatiale Nord 262A-33 turboprop en route to Santa Maria, was forced to ditch in Santa Monica Bay after experiencing engine problems upon takeoff from LAX. The pilot, co-pilot, and a female passenger drowned when they were unable to exit the aircraft after the ditching. The female flight attendant and the three remaining passengers—two men and a pregnant woman—survived and were rescued by several pleasure boats and other watercraft in the vicinity.
1980s
- In January 1985, a woman was found dead in a suitcase that was lying on the baggage carousel for a while. The suitcase had arrived on a Lufthansa flight. The woman was later discovered to have been an Iranian citizen who had recently married another Iranian with UGreen card status. She had been denied a US visa in West Germany and therefore decided to enter the US in this way.[270]
- On August 31, 1986, Aeroméxico Flight 498, a DC-9 en route from Mexico City, Mexico, to Los Angeles, began its descent into LAX when a Piper Cherokee collided with the DC-9's left horizontal stabilizer over Cerritos, causing the DC-9 to crash into a residential neighborhood. All 67 people on the two aircraft were killed, in addition to 15 people on the ground. 5 homes were destroyed and an additional 7 were damaged by the crash and resulting fire. The Piper went down in a nearby schoolyard and caused no further injuries on the ground. As a result of this incident, the FAA required all commercial aircraft to be equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
1990s
- On February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493 (arriving from Columbus, Ohio), a Boeing 737-300, landing on runway 24L at LAX, collided on touchdown with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Metroliner, preparing to depart to Palmdale. The collision was caused by a controller who told the SkyWest plane to wait on the runway for takeoff, then later gave the USAir plane clearance to land on the same runway, forgetting that the SkyWest plane was there. The collision killed all 12 occupants of the SkyWest plane and 23 of the 89 people aboard the USAir 737.[271][272]
2000s
- Al-Qaeda attempted to bomb LAX on New Year's Eve 1999/2000. The bomber, Algerian Ahmed Ressam, was captured in Port Angeles, Washington, the U.S. port of entry, with a cache of explosives that could have produced a blast 40 times greater than that of a car bomb hidden in the trunk of the rented car in which he had traveled from Canada.[273][274] He had planned to leave one or two suitcases filled with explosives in an LAX passenger waiting area.[275][276] He was initially sentenced to 22 years in prison, but in February 2010 an appellate court ordered that his sentence be extended.[277]
- On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, attempted to land at LAX after experiencing problems with its tail-mounted horizontal stabilizer. Before the plane could divert to Los Angeles, it suddenly plummeted into the Pacific Ocean approximately 2.7 miles (4.3 km) north of Anacapa Island of the California coast, killing all 88 people aboard.[278]
- During the September 11 attacks, American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 77 were destined for LAX and they were hijacked mid-flight by Al-Qaeda terrorists. Flight 11 and Flight 175 deliberately crashed into the Twin Towers of World Trade Center and Flight 77 deliberately crashed into The Pentagon.
- In the 2002 Los Angeles International Airport shooting of July 4, 2002, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet killed two Israelis at the ticket counter of El Al Airlines at LAX. Although the gunman was not linked to any terrorist group, the man was upset at U.S. support for Israel, and therefore was motivated by political disagreement. This led the FBI to classify this shooting as a terrorist act,[279] one of the first on U.S. soil since the September 11 attacks.
- On September 21, 2005, JetBlue Flight 292, an Airbus A320 discovered a problem with its landing gear as it took off from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. It flew in circles for three hours to burn off fuel, then landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport on runway 25L, balancing on its back wheels as it rolled down the center of the runway. Passengers were able to watch their own coverage live from the satellite broadcast on JetBlue in-flight TV seat displays of their plane as it made an emergency landing with the front landing gear visibly becoming damaged. Because JetBlue did not serve LAX at the time, the aircraft was evaluated and repaired at a Continental Airlines hangar.[280][281]
- On 19 December 2005, Air India flight 136, a Boeing 747-400M (registered as VT-AIM) flying from Los Angeles to Delhi via Frankfurt, suffered a tire blowout after take-off.[282] The plane dumped fuel and returned to Los Angeles after conducting an emergency landing. There were no injuries among 267 passengers and crew, however a woman passenger was hospitalized after fainting on landing.[283]
- On June 2, 2006, an American Airlines Boeing 767 was about to complete a flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City when the plane's pilots noted that the number 1 engine lagged the number 2 one by 2 percent. The plane landed safely and passengers disembarked, but when maintenance personnel retarded its throttle to idle, the number one engine, which had been put to maximum power, suffered an uncontained rupture of the high pressure turbine stage 1 disk, causing the engine to explode.[284] There were no injuries among the three people on board the aircraft at the time (all of them maintenance workers), but the airplane was written off.
- On July 29, 2006, after America West Express Flight 6008, a Canadair Regional Jet operated by Mesa Airlines from Phoenix, Arizona, landed on runway 25L, controllers instructed the pilot to leave the runway on a taxiway known as "Mike" and stop short of runway 25R. Even though the pilot read back the instructions correctly, he accidentally taxied onto 25R and into the path of a departing SkyWest Airlines Embraer EMB-120 operating United Express Flight 6037 to Monterey. They cleared each other by 50 feet (15 m) and nobody was hurt.[285]
- On August 16, 2007, a runway incursion occurred between WestJet Flight 900 and Northwest Airlines Flight 180 on runways 24R and 24L, respectively, with the aircraft coming within 37 feet (11 m) of each other. The planes were carrying a combined total of 296 people, none of whom were injured. The NTSB concluded that the incursion was the result of controller error.[286] In September 2007, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey stressed the need for LAX to increase lateral separation between its pair of north runways in order to preserve the safety and efficiency of the airport.[287]
2010s
- On October 13 and 14, 2013, two incidents of dry ice bomb explosions occurred at the airport. The first dry ice bomb exploded at 7:00 p.m. in an employee restroom in Terminal 2, with no injuries. Terminal 2 was briefly shut down as a result. On the next day at 8:30 p.m., a dry ice bomb exploded on the ramp area near the Tom Bradley International Terminal, also without injuries. Two other plastic bottles containing dry ice were found at the scene during the second explosion. On October 15, a 28-year-old airport employee was arrested in connection with the explosions and was booked on charges of possession of an explosive or destructive device near an aircraft.[288][289][290] On October 18, a 41-year-old airport employee was arrested in connection with the second explosion, and was booked on suspicion of possessing a destructive device near an aircraft.[291] Authorities believe that the incidents were not linked to terrorism.[288] Both men subsequently pleaded no contest and were each sentenced to three years' probation. The airport workers had removed dry ice from a cargo hold into which a dog was to be loaded, because of fears that the dry ice could harm the animal.[292]
- In the 2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting of November 1, 2013, at around 9:31 a.m. PDT, a lone gunman entered Terminal 3 and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer and wounding three other people. The gunman was later apprehended and taken into custody. Until the situation was clarified and under control, a few terminals at the airport were evacuated, all inbound flights were diverted and all outbound flights were grounded until the airport began returning to normal operation at around 2:30 p.m.[293][294]
- On August 28, 2016, there was a false report of shots fired throughout the airport, causing a temporary lock down and about 3 hours of flight delays.[295]
- On May 20, 2017, Aeroméxico Flight 642, a Boeing 737-800, collided with a utility truck on a taxiway near Runway 25R, injuring 8 people, two of them seriously.[296]
- On July 25, 2018, jetblast from a Dash 8 caused some dollies to crash into a United 737.[297]
- On November 21, 2019, Philippine Airlines Flight 113, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER suffered an engine compressor stall shortly after take off from the airport's Runway 25R, forcing the flight to return. The flight made a successful emergency landing just 13 minutes after departure. There were 342 passengers and 18 crew on board the flight, with no injuries reported.[298]
2020s
- On August 19, 2020, FedEx Express Flight 1026, a Boeing 767, made an emergency landing when its left main landing gear failed to extend. One of the pilots was injured while leaving the aircraft.[299]
- On October 28, 2021, more than 300 passengers were forced to flee onto the tarmac after report of a person with a gun at the Terminal 1. Two people were injured, and the flights were temporarily suspended. No weapons were found, but two people were arrested and taken into custody by the airport police.[300]
- On February 10, 2023, an American Airlines Airbus A321 was being towed without any passengers when it collided with a passenger bus, injuring five people who were riding on the bus.[301]
- On July 8, 2024, a Boeing 757-200 of United Airlines, registration N14107, was in the initial climb out of runway 25R bound for Denver when one of the main wheels detached. The aircraft continued to Denver and landed safely with no casualties.[302]
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The "Imperial Hill" area of El Segundo is a prime location for aircraft spotting, especially for takeoffs. Part of the Imperial Hill area has been set aside as a city park, Clutter's Park.
Another popular spotting location sits under the final approach for runways 24 L&R on a lawn next to the Westchester In-N-Out Burger on Sepulveda Boulevard. 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 flight path.
Another aircraft spotting location is at a small park in the take-off pattern that normally goes out over the Pacific. The park is on the east side of the street Vista Del Mar, from which it takes its name, Vista Del Mar Park.
Space Shuttle Endeavour
At 12:51 p.m. on Friday, September 21, 2012, a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying the Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at LAX on runway 25L.[303] An estimated 10,000 people saw the shuttle land. Interstate 105 was backed up for miles at a standstill. Imperial Highway was shut down for spectators. It was quickly taken off the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, and was moved to a United Airlines hangar. The shuttle spent about a month in the hangar while it was prepared to be transported to the California Science Center.
Numerous films and television shows have been set or filmed partially at LAX, at least partly due to the airport's proximity to Hollywood studios and Los Angeles. Film shoots at the Los Angeles airports, including LAX, produced $590 million for the Los Angeles region from 2002 to 2005.[304]
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