Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary
international airport
An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer ...
serving
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and its
surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the
Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, southwest of
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
, 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
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
and the
South Bay.
The airport is operated by
Los Angeles World Airports
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is the airport authority that owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) for the city of Los Angeles, California. LAWA also owns and manages aviation-related property ne ...
(LAWA), a branch of the
Los Angeles city government, that also operates
Van Nuys Airport
: ''For the United States Air Force use of the airport (1942–1990), see Van Nuys Air National Guard Base''
Van Nuys Airport is a public airport in the Van Nuys neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. The airport is operated by Los Angeles ...
for general aviation. The airport covers of land and has four parallel runways.
In 2019, LAX handled 88,068,013 passengers, making it the
world's third-busiest and the United States'
second-busiest airport following
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...
. As the largest and busiest international airport on the
U.S. West Coast
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
, LAX is a major international gateway to the United States, and also serves a connection point for passengers traveling internationally (such as East and Southeast Asia,
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...
, Mexico and Central America). The airport holds the record for the world's busiest origin and destination airport, because relative to other airports, many more travelers begin or end their trips in Los Angeles than use it as a connection. It is also the only airport to rank among the top five U.S. airports for both passenger and cargo traffic. LAX serves as a major
hub or
focus city
An airline hub or hub airport is an airport used by one or more airlines to concentrate passenger traffic and flight operations. Hubs serve as transfer (or stop-over) points to help get passengers to their final destination. It is part of the ...
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, including
Hollywood-Burbank Airport,
John Wayne Airport (Orange County),
Long Beach Airport
Long Beach Airport is a public airport three miles northeast of downtown Long Beach, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is also called Daugherty Field, named after local aviator Earl Daugherty. The airport was an operating base ...
,
Ontario International Airport
Ontario International Airport is an international airport two miles east of downtown Ontario, in San Bernardino County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino. It is owned and operat ...
, and
San Bernardino International Airport
San Bernardino International Airport (, initialism: SBIA) is a public airport two miles (3 km) southeast of the city center of San Bernardino, California, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The airport covers and has one ...
serve the region.
History
![2010-1101-HangarNo1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/2010-1101-HangarNo1.jpg)
In 1926, the
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...
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 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
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
,
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
and
lima beans
A lima bean (''Phaseolus lunatus''), also commonly known as the butter bean, sieva bean, double bean, Madagascar bean, or wax bean is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans.
Origin and uses
''Phaseolus lunatus'' is found in Meso- and S ...
into dirt landing strips.
The airport opened on October 1, 1928
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
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
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.
![Los Angeles Airport, 1931](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Los_Angeles_Airport%2C_1931.jpg)
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
Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. e ...
or the
Grand Central Airport
Grand Central Airport is a small privately owned airfield which is open to public air traffic. It is located in Midrand, halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa. Prior permission to land at Grand Central is not required for l ...
in Glendale.
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 at the airfield and building naval gun batteries in the ocean dunes to the west.
Meanwhile, airport managers published a master plan for the land, and in early 1943 and 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
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
,
Trans World Airlines (TWA),
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. ,
Southwest Airways
Pacific Air Lines was a regional airline (then called a "local service" air carrier as defined by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board) on the West Coast of the United States that began scheduled passenger flights in the mid 1940s under the name ...
and
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and ...
began passenger operations at the airport, with
Pan American Airways
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
(Pan Am) joining the next month.
The airport was renamed Los Angeles International Airport in 1949.
The temporary terminals would remain in place for 15 years but quickly became inadequate, especially as air travel entered the "
jet age
The Jet Age is a period in the history of aviation defined by the advent of aircraft powered by jet turbine engines, and by the social change this brought about.
Jet airliners were able to fly much higher, faster, and farther than older pisto ...
" 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 connected at the center of the property by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The dome was never built, but a smaller
Theme Building
The Theme Building is a structure at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), considered an architectural example of the Space Age design style. Influenced by " Populuxe" architecture, it is an example of the Mid-century modern design movement ...
built in the central area became a focal point for people coming to the airport.
![6207-Continental Passengers Arriving LAX](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/6207-Continental_Passengers_Arriving_LAX.jpg)
The first of the new passenger buildings, Terminals 7 and 8, were opened for
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. on June 25, 1961, following opening festivities that lasted several days. Terminals 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 opened later that same year.
A major expansion of the airport came in the early 1980s, ahead of the
1984 Summer Olympic Games. In November 1983 a second-level roadway was added, Terminal 1 opened in January 1984 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal opened in June 1984. 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 completely rebuilt, with a West Gates concourse added.
Outside of the terminal area, a 4,300 stall parking structure, a
Los Angeles Metro Rail station, and a
consolidated rental car facility
A consolidated rental car facility (CRCF) or consolidated rental car center (CONRAC) is a complex that hosts numerous car rental agencies, typically found at airports in the United States.
The largest incentive for building consolidated faciliti ...
are being built. All will be connected to the terminal area by the
LAX Automated People Mover
The LAX Automated People Mover is an automated people mover (APM) system around the Los Angeles International Airport area, currently under construction for Los Angeles World Airports. To be operated by LAX Integrated Express Solutions, the LA ...
.
In the near future, airport managers plan to build two more terminals (0 and 9).
All together, these projects are expected to cost of $14 billion and bring LAX's total gates from 146 to 182.
The "X" in LAX
Before the 1930s, US airports used a two-letter abbreviation and at that time, "LA" served as the designation for Los Angeles Airport. With the rapid growth in the aviation industry, in 1947, the identifiers expanded to three letters and "LA" received an extra letter to become "LAX." The letter "X" does not otherwise have any specific meaning in this identifier. "LAX" is also used for the
Port of Los Angeles
The Port of Los Angeles is a seaport managed by the Los Angeles Harbor Department, a unit of the City of Los Angeles. It occupies of land and water with of waterfront and adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach. Promoted as "America's Port", t ...
in
San Pedro and by
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
for
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
in
downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...
.
Infrastructure
Airfield
24R/06L and 24L/06R (designated the North Airfield Complex) are north of the airport terminals, and 25R/07L and 25L/07R (designated the South Airfield Complex) are south of the airport terminals.
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.
Typically the loudest operations at an airport are from departing aircraft (as engines operate at full 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) closest to the central terminal area and further from residential areas for departures, and the "outboard" runways are preferred for arrivals. Historically, over 90% of flights have used the "inboard" departures and "outboard" arrivals scheme.
During nighttime 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 controls 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" where departing aircraft continue to take off to the west, but arriving aircraft also approach from the west (over the ocean).
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
Santa Ana winds
The Santa Ana winds (sometimes devil winds) "Scholars who have looked into the name's origins generally agree that it derives from Santa Ana Canyon, the portal where the Santa Ana River -- as well as a congested Riverside (CA-91) Freeway -- leav ...
events. When that happens, the airport shifts to the non-preferred "Easterly Operations" air traffic pattern where departing aircraft take off to the east, and arriving aircraft approach from the west.
The South Airfield Complex tends to see more operations than the North, due to a larger number of passenger gates and air cargo operations.
Runways in the North Airfield Complex are separated by . Plans have been advanced and approved to increase the separation by , which would allow a central taxiway between runways, despite opposition from residents living north of LAX. The separation between the two runways in the South Airfield Complex has already increased by to accommodate a central taxiway.
Terminals
LAX has
nine passenger terminals with a total of 146 gates arranged in the shape of the letter U or a horseshoe that are identified by numbers except for the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The Midfield Satellite Concourse, now renamed the West Gates, an expansion for international flights reached through the Tom Bradley Terminal, opened on May 1, 2021. There are of cargo facilities at LAX, as well as a
heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...
operated by Bravo Aviation.
Theme Building
![6207-LAX Theme Building-Restaurant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/6207-LAX_Theme_Building-Restaurant.jpg)
The distinctive
Theme Building
The Theme Building is a structure at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), considered an architectural example of the Space Age design style. Influenced by " Populuxe" architecture, it is an example of the Mid-century modern design movement ...
, designed by
Pereira & Luckman
Pereira & Luckman was a Los Angeles, California architectural firm that partners Charles Luckman and William Pereira founded in Los Angeles in 1950. They had been classmates at the University of Illinois’ School of Architecture and had each beco ...
architect
Paul Williams in the
Googie
Googie architecture ( ) is a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Atomic Age and the Space Age. It originated in Southern California from the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, and was popular in the ...
style and built 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
The Los Angeles City Council is the legislative body of the City of Los Angeles in California.
The council is composed of 15 members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tem ...
designated the building a
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.
History
The Historic-Cult ...
in 1992. A $4 million renovation, with
retro-futuristic
Retrofuturism (adjective ''retrofuturistic'' or ''retrofuture'') is a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. If futurism is sometimes called a "science" bent on anticipatin ...
interior and electric lighting designed by
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attra ...
, was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997 but is no longer in business. 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. 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. The Bob Hope USO expanded and relocated to the first floor of the Theme Building in 2018.
Future developments
LAWA currently has several plans to modernize LAX, for $14 billion. 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 would bring LAX's total gates from 146 to 182.
These improvements include:
* Reconstruction of Terminals 1 (completed), 2 (completed), 3 (completed), 4 (under construction), and 6 (under construction)
*Construction of Terminal 1.5, a connector building between terminals 1 and 2, with a post-security bridge between the terminals and a bus gate to take passengers to boarding gates in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (completed)
*Reconstruction of Tom Bradley International Terminal (completed)
*Construction of the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal adding 15 gates (completed)
*Expansion of the West Gates at Tom Bradley International adding 8 temporary gates (under construction)
*Construction of the
LAX Automated People Mover
The LAX Automated People Mover is an automated people mover (APM) system around the Los Angeles International Airport area, currently under construction for Los Angeles World Airports. To be operated by LAX Integrated Express Solutions, the LA ...
(APM) (under construction)
*Construction of the Economy Parking, a 4,300-stall parking structure with passenger pick-up/drop-off areas, connected to the terminal area by the APM (completed)
*Construction of the
Intermodal Transportation Facility – East (ITF-East), a
Los Angeles Metro Rail and bus station, connected to the terminal area by the APM (under construction)
*Construction of a
consolidated rental car facility
A consolidated rental car facility (CRCF) or consolidated rental car center (CONRAC) is a complex that hosts numerous car rental agencies, typically found at airports in the United States.
The largest incentive for building consolidated faciliti ...
, connected to the terminal area by the APM (under construction)
*Construction of Concourse 0 east of Terminal 1, adding 9 gates and an additional international arrivals facility (planned)
*Construction of Terminal 9 east of Sepulveda Boulevard, adding 12 gates and an additional international arrivals facility (planned)
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Traffic and statistics
![United Airlines - N16217 (8216931738)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/United_Airlines_-_N16217_%288216931738%29.jpg)
It is the
world's fourth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and
eleventh-busiest by cargo traffic,
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
second-busiest 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.
Top domestic destinations
Top international destinations
Airline market share
Ground transportation and access
Transiting between terminals
In the secure area of the airport, tunnels or above-ground connectors link terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and B (Tom Bradley International Terminal). Connectors are currently under construction between terminals 1, 2, 3 and B.
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:
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
The LAX City Bus Center is the main bus station serving the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California. The LAX City Bus Center, is located about a from the Central Terminal Area on 96th Street, east of Sepulveda Bouleva ...
which is served by transit buses from
Beach Cities Transit,
Culver CityBus
Culver CityBus is a public transport agency operating in Culver City, California, currently serving Culver City, the unincorporated community of Marina del Rey, and the adjacent Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Its regular fleet is painted bright gr ...
,
Los Angeles Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), commonly branded as Metro, LA Metro, and L.A. Metro, is the state agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angeles ...
, Santa Monica
Big Blue Bus
Big Blue Bus (stylized, big blue bus) is a municipal bus service serving the city of Santa Monica and the greater Westside region of Los Angeles County. The service, operated by the city of Santa Monica, was founded on April 14, 1928 and thro ...
and
Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit is a transit agency primarily serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
History
Torrance Transit inaugurated service on January 15, 1940 using thre ...
. Buses on this route also serve the Employee South Lot.
Route E Economy Parking connects the Central Terminal Area and the Intermodal Transport Facility–West, the airport's economy parking garage.
Route M Metro Connector connects the Central Terminal Area and the
Aviation/LAX station
Aviation/LAX station is an elevated light rail station on the C Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located over Aviation Boulevard, after which the station is named, near its intersection with Imperial Highway and just south of ...
on the Metro
C Line, away. 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
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
Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
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
Culver CityBus is a public transport agency operating in Culver City, California, currently serving Culver City, the unincorporated community of Marina del Rey, and the adjacent Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Its regular fleet is painted bright gr ...
lines
6 and
Rapid 6 to
Culver City and
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
,
Los Angeles Metro Bus
Los Angeles Metro Bus is the transit bus service in Los Angeles County, California operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
, there are ...
lines to
South Gate, to
Norwalk, to
Downey Downey may refer to:
People
* Downey (surname)
*Robert Downey Jr.
Places
* Downey, California, US
* Downey, Idaho, US
* Downey, Iowa, US
Businesses
* W. & D. Downey, photographic studio
* Downey Studios, created out of a former Boeing plant
Sch ...
and to
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, Santa Monica
Big Blue Bus
Big Blue Bus (stylized, big blue bus) is a municipal bus service serving the city of Santa Monica and the greater Westside region of Los Angeles County. The service, operated by the city of Santa Monica, was founded on April 14, 1928 and thro ...
lines
3 and
Rapid 3 to
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, and
Torrance Transit
Torrance Transit is a transit agency primarily serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
History
Torrance Transit inaugurated service on January 15, 1940 using thre ...
line
8 to
Torrance. During the overnight hours, Los Angeles Metro line offers service to Downtown Los Angeles.
The LAX City Bus Center will eventually be replaced by the
LAX/Metro Transit Center station
LAX/Metro Transit Center station (called the East ITF by LAX and known as Aviation/96th Street during planning) is an under-construction light rail transport hub in the Los Angeles County Metro Rail system, located near the intersection of Avi ...
, which will be connected to the rest of LAX by the Automated People Mover system.
There is also a bus stop at
Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard is a major street and transportation corridor in the City of Los Angeles and several other cities in western Los Angeles County, California. The street parallels Interstate 405 for much of its route. Portions of Sepulveda Bou ...
and
Century Boulevard
Century Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare in the southern portion of Los Angeles, California. Century Boulevard acts as a continuation of Tweedy Boulevard at Alameda Street in South Gate in its east end (Tweedy Boulevard in its ea ...
that is a walk away from Terminals 1 and 7/8 that is served by
LADOT Commuter Express line 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
![FlyAway Union Station](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/FlyAway_Union_Station.jpg)
The FlyAway bus is a nonstop motorcoach/shuttle service run by
LAWA, which provides scheduled service between LAX and
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
in Downtown LA or the FlyAway Terminal at the Van Nuys Airport in the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
.
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 lane
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
s and
high-occupancy toll lane
A high-occupancy toll lane (or HOT lane) is a type of traffic lane or roadway that is available to high-occupancy vehicles and other exempt vehicles without charge; other vehicles are required to pay a variable fee that is adjusted in response ...
s (
Metro ExpressLanes
The Metro ExpressLanes project is a transport project in Los Angeles County, California that debuted in 2012 to "improve traffic flow and provide enhanced travel options on I-10 and I-110 in Los Angeles County". It includes a range of infrastruct ...
) to expedite their trips.
Metro Rail and the LAX Automated People Mover
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
Aviation/LAX station is an elevated light rail station on the C Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located over Aviation Boulevard, after which the station is named, near its intersection with Imperial Highway and just south of ...
on the
C Line, away.
The
LAX Automated People Mover
The LAX Automated People Mover is an automated people mover (APM) system around the Los Angeles International Airport area, currently under construction for Los Angeles World Airports. To be operated by LAX Integrated Express Solutions, the LA ...
(APM), currently under construction by LAWA, is a 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.
The APM project is estimated to cost $5.5 billion and is scheduled to begin operation in 2023,
with the connection to Metro Rail opening in 2024.
Freeways and roads
![Los-Angeles-Airport-405-Freeway-Aerial-view-from-north-August-2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Los-Angeles-Airport-405-Freeway-Aerial-view-from-north-August-2014.jpg)
LAX's terminals are immediately west of the interchange between
Century Boulevard
Century Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare in the southern portion of Los Angeles, California. Century Boulevard acts as a continuation of Tweedy Boulevard at Alameda Street in South Gate in its east end (Tweedy Boulevard in its ea ...
and
Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard is a major street and transportation corridor in the City of Los Angeles and several other cities in western Los Angeles County, California. The street parallels Interstate 405 for much of its route. Portions of Sepulveda Bou ...
(
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.
Taxicab
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choi ...
services are operated by nine city-authorized taxi companies and regulated by Authorized Taxicab Supervision Inc. (ATS). ATS queues up taxis at the LAXit waiting area.
A number of private shuttle companies also offer
limousine and bus services to LAX, including from suburban areas such as
Lancaster,
Palmdale
Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.
On Aug ...
, and
Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17t ...
.
Bakersfield had a similar service to LAX, but it suspended operations during the 2020 pandemic.
Other facilities
![Los-Angeles-Airport-LAX-hotels-Aerial-view-from-north-August-2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Los-Angeles-Airport-LAX-hotels-Aerial-view-from-north-August-2014.jpg)
The airport has the administrative offices of
Los Angeles World Airports
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is the airport authority that owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) for the city of Los Angeles, California. LAWA also owns and manages aviation-related property ne ...
.
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
Samuel William Yorty (October 1, 1909 – June 5, 1998) was an American radio host, attorney, and politician from Los Angeles, California. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the California State Assembly, ...
,
Continental Airlines announced that it planned to move its headquarters to Los Angeles in July 1963. In 1963
Continental Airlines headquarters moved to a two-story, $2.3 million building on the grounds of the airport. The July 2009 ''
Continental Magazine'' issue stated that the move "underlined
Continental Airlines western and Pacific orientation".
[The Company]
(). Continental Airlines Magazine. July 2009. Retrieved on February 8, 2010. On July 1, 1983 the airline's headquarters were relocated to the
America Tower in the
Neartown area of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
.
In addition to
Continental Airlines,
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a major airline based in California, operating in the Western United States including Alaska and Hawaii, and western Canada, as well as to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami and to Mexico City, London and ...
and
Flying Tiger Line
Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel (the latter with leased aircraft). The airline w ...
also had their headquarters at LAX.
Flight Path Museum LAX
The Flight Path Museum LAX, formerly known as 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. 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, a
TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...
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.
The museum has on display "The Spirit of Seventy-Six," a
DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner
manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...
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
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
in January 1941, which was a major producer of both commercial and military aircraft.
Accidents and incidents
![Airport Response Coordination Center (6241152178)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Airport_Response_Coordination_Center_%286241152178%29.jpg)
During its history there have been numerous incidents, but only the most notable are summarized below:
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
North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included: the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F ...
, 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 the fatal spin. 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
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American medium bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for a bomber, it was or ...
.
1940s
* On June 1, 1940, the first
Douglas R3D-1 for the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
, BuNo ''1901'', crashed at Mines Field, before delivery. The Navy later acquired the privately owned
DC-5 prototype, from
William E. Boeing
William Edward Boeing (; October 1, 1881 – September 28, 1956) was an American aviation pioneer who founded the Pacific Airplane Company in 1916, which a year later was renamed to The Boeing Company, now the largest exporter in the United S ...
as a replacement.
* On November 20, 1940, the prototype
NA-73X Mustang, ''NX19998'', first flown October 26, 1940, by test pilot
Vance Breese
Vance Breese (1904–1973) was an American aviation engineer and test pilot.
Early years
Vance Breese was born in Keystone, Washington, on April 20, 1904. His education, in his own words was: "various engineering extension courses." More than an ...
, crashed. According to P-51 designer
Edgar Schmued
Edgar O. "Ed" Schmued (Schmüd), German-American aircraft designer (1899–1985) was famed for his design of the iconic North American P-51 Mustang and, later, the F-86 Sabre while at North American Aviation. He later worked on other aircraft des ...
, 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.
* On October 26, 1944,
WASP
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...
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'', 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.
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
Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...
, and Flight 2 bound for Kansas City. The cause was found to be issues within the US air traffic control system and aviation law.
1960s
* On January 13, 1969,
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933
Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933 was a scheduled international flight from Denmark to the United States that on January 13, 1969, crashed into Santa Monica Bay at 19:21, approximately west of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Ca ...
, a
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is a long-range narrow-body airliner built by the American Douglas Aircraft Company.
After losing the May 1954 US Air Force tanker competition to the Boeing KC-135, Douglas announced in July ...
-62, crashed into
Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume, in ...
, approximately west of LAX at 7:21 pm, local time. The aircraft was operating as flight SK933, nearing the completion of a flight from
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. Of nine crewmembers, three lost their lives to drowning, while 12 of the 36 passengers also drowned.
* On January 18, 1969,
United Airlines Flight 266
United Airlines Flight 266 was a scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles International Airport, California, to General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, via Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado. On January 1 ...
, a
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airpo ...
-100 bearing the registration number N7434U, crashed into
Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume, in ...
approximately 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
Hughes Airwest Flight 706 was a regularly scheduled flight operated by American domestic airline Hughes Airwest from Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington, with several intermediate stops. On Sunday, June 6, 1971, the McDonnell Douglas D ...
, a
Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas.
After ...
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
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own merger with Boeing in 1997, it pro ...
F-4 Phantom II fighter jet over the
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains ( es, Sierra de San Gabriel) are a mountain range located in northern Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Tr ...
. 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
The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 19 ...
over
Compton
Compton may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Compton (electoral district), a former Quebec federal electoral district
* Compton (provincial electoral district), a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton
* Compton, Que ...
. Although the Cessna was destroyed upon landing, there were no fatalities.
* On August 6, 1974, a
bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...
exploded near the
Pan Am
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
ticketing area at Terminal 2; three people were killed and 35 were injured.
* On March 1, 1978, two tires burst in succession on a
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas.
The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long- range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 197 ...
on
Continental Airlines Flight 603 during its takeoff roll at LAX and the plane, bound for
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
, 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
A ditch is a small to moderate divot created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ar ...
in
Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume, in ...
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 1984, a woman was found dead in a suitcase which 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 like this.
* On August 31, 1986,
Aeroméxico Flight 498
Aeroméxico Flight 498 was a scheduled commercial flight from Mexico City, Mexico to Los Angeles, California, United States, with several intermediate stops. On Sunday, August 31, 1986, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating the flight was clipped ...
, a
DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced by the developer company as the Douglas DC-9 until August 1967 and then by McDonnell Douglas.
After ...
en route from
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
, Mexico to Los Angeles, began its descent into LAX when a
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of two-seat or four-seat light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft and designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 62–64. Werner & Werner Corp, ...
collided with the DC-9's left
horizontal stabilizer
A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...
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
On the evening of February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737-300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Though air traff ...
(arriving from
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
), a
Boeing 737-300
The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft.
Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
, landing on runway 24L at LAX, collided on touchdown with a
SkyWest Airlines Fairchild Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner (previously the Swearingen Metro and later Fairchild Aerospace Metro) is a 19-seat, pressurized, twin-turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild Aircraft at a plant in San ...
, Flight 5569 departing to
Palmdale
Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.
On Aug ...
. The Skywest plane was given clearance to wait on the runway for takeoff. The same controller then 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 people aboard the USAir 737.
2000s
*
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
attempted to bomb LAX on New Year's Eve 1999/2000. The bomber, Algerian
Ahmed Ressam
Ahmed Ressam ( ar, احمد رسام; also Benni Noris or the Millennium Bomber; born May 9, 1967) is an Algerian al-Qaeda member who lived for a time in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He received extensive terrorist training in Afghanistan.
He was c ...
, was captured in
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021.
The city's har ...
, 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.
He had planned to leave one or two suitcases filled with explosives in an LAX passenger waiting area.
He was initially sentenced to 22 years in prison, but in February 2010 an appellate court ordered that his sentence be extended.
* On January 31, 2000,
Alaska Airlines Flight 261
Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was an Alaska Airlines flight of a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, roughly north of Anacapa Island, California, following a catastrophic loss of pitch control, ...
, attempted to land at LAX after experiencing problems with its tail-mounted horizontal stabilizer. Before the plane could divert to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, it suddenly plummeted into the Pacific Ocean approximately north of
Anacapa Island
Anacapa Island (Chumash: ''Anyapax'', meaning "mirage, illusion") is a small volcanic island located about off the coast of Port Hueneme, California, in Ventura County. The island is composed of a series of narrow islets long, oriented ...
off the
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
coast, killing all 88 people aboard.
* On
September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
,
American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11 was a domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001 as part of the September 11 attacks. Lead hijacker Mohamed Atta deliberately crashed the plane into the North Towe ...
,
United Airlines Flight 175
United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The flight's scheduled plan was from Logan International Airport, in Boston, ...
and
American Airlines Flight 77 were destined for LAX and they were hijacked mid-flight by
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
terrorists. Flight 11 and Flight 175 deliberately crashed into the
Twin Towers of World Trade Center and Flight 77 deliberately crashed into
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
.
* In the
2002 Los Angeles International Airport shooting
On July 4, 2002, a lone gunman opened fire at the ticket counter of El Al, Israel's national airline, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the terrorist attack, two people were killed, and four othe ...
of July 4, 2002, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet killed two Israelis at the ticket counter of
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugura ...
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
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
to classify this shooting as a terrorist act,
one of the first on U.S. soil since the September 11 attacks.
* On September 21, 2005,
JetBlue Flight 292
JetBlue Flight 292 was a scheduled flight from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. On September 21, 2005, Captain Scott Burke executed an emergency landing in the Airbus A320-200 a ...
, an
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus.
The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France.
The first member of the famil ...
discovered a problem with its landing gear as it took off from
Bob Hope Airport
Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. ef ...
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
JetBlue Airways Corporation (stylized as jetBlue) is a major American low cost airline, and the seventh largest airline in North America by passengers carried. The airline is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York C ...
in-flight TV seat displays of their plane as it made an emergency landing with the front landing gear visibly becoming damaged. Because
JetBlue
JetBlue Airways Corporation (stylized as jetBlue) is a major American low cost airline, and the seventh largest airline in North America by passengers carried. The airline is headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York C ...
did not serve LAX at the time, the aircraft was evaluated and repaired at a
Continental Airlines hangar.
* On June 2, 2006, an
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
Boeing 767 was about to complete a flight from
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the Avia ...
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. 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
America West Express was the brand name for America West Airlines commuter and regional flights operated by Mesa Air Group's Mesa Airlines under a code share agreement. Today Mesa Airlines operates for American Eagle.
Mesa Airlines operated Am ...
Flight 6008, a
Canadair Regional Jet
The Bombardier CRJ or CRJ Series (for Canadair Regional Jet) is a family of regional jets introduced in 1991 by Bombardier Aerospace. The CRJ was formerly manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace with the manufacturing of the first CRJ generation, ...
operated by
Mesa Airlines
Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air ...
from
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, 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
United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights.
On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...
Flight 6037 to
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
. They cleared each other by and nobody was hurt.
* On August 16, 2007, a
runway incursion
A runway incursion is an aviation incident involving improper positioning of vehicles or people on any airport runway or its protected area. When an incursion involves an ''active'' runway being used by arriving or departing aircraft, the pot ...
occurred between
WestJet
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, near Calgary International Airport. It is the second-largest Canadian airline, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 ...
Flight 900 and
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...
Flight 180 on runways 24R and 24L, respectively, with the aircraft coming within 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. In September 2007,
FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
Administrator
Marion Blakey
Marion Clifton Blakey (born March 26, 1948) is an American businesswoman and former government official who served as president and CEO of Rolls-Royce North America. Prior to joining Rolls-Royce, she served as the eighth full-time chief executive o ...
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.
2010s
* On October 13 and 14, 2013, two incidents of
dry ice bomb
A dry ice bomb is a simple explosive device. While their simplicity, ease of construction, high bursting pressure and loud noise make them appealing for recreational purposes, they can be unpredictable and dangerous. These bombs have led to many i ...
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.
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.
Authorities believe that the incidents were not linked to terrorism.
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.
* 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
A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger, and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. For comparison, a bolt-a ...
, killing a
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
(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.
* 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.
* On May 20, 2017,
Aeroméxico
Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; stylized as AM), is the flag carrier airline of Mexico, based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico; North, South and Central Ame ...
Flight 642, a
Boeing 737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...
, collided with a utility truck on a taxiway near Runway 25R, injuring 8 people, two of them seriously.
* On July 25, 2018, jetblast from a Dash 8 caused some dollies to crash into a United 737.
* On November 21, 2019,
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange, PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Cen ...
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 onboard the flight, with no injuries reported.
2020s
* On August 19, 2020,
FedEx Express
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2020, it is one of the world's largest airlines in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the na ...
Flight 1026, a
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...
, made an emergency landing when its left main landing gear failed to extend. One of the pilots was injured while leaving the aircraft.
* 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.
Aircraft spotting
The "Imperial Hill" area of
El Segundo is a prime location for
aircraft spotting
Aircraft spotting, or plane spotting is a hobby of tracking the movement of aircraft, which is often accomplished by photography. Besides monitoring aircraft, plane spotting enthusiasts (who are usually called plane spotters) also record informa ...
, 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
In-N-Out Burger is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations primarily in California and the Southwest. It was founded in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948 by Harry (1913–1976) and Esther Snyder (1920–2006). The ...
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.
One can also do aircraft spotting 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 where 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
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short range 747-100SR.
The SCAs were used ...
carrying the
Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' landed at LAX on runway 25L. An estimated 10,000 people saw the shuttle land.
Interstate 105 was backed up for miles at a standstill.
Imperial Highway
The Imperial Highway is a west-east thoroughfare in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial in California. The main portion of the existing route begins at Vista Del Mar in Los Angeles near the Los Angeles Inter ...
was shut down for spectators. It was quickly taken off the
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short range 747-100SR.
The SCAs were used ...
, a modified Boeing 747, and was moved to a
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. hangar. The shuttle spent about a month in the hangar while it was prepared to be transported to the
California Science Center
The California Science Center (sometimes spelled California ScienCenter) is a state agency and museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, next to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the University of Southern California. ...
.
In popular culture
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.
See also
*
California World War II Army Airfields
*
List of airports in the Los Angeles area
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
*
Los Angeles Airport Police
The Los Angeles Airport Police Division (sometimes known as LAWAPD or LAXPD) is the airport police division of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the city department that owns and operates two airports in Southern California: Los Angeles Int ...
*
Peirson Mitchell Hall
References
Further reading
* Bullock, Freddy. ''LAX: Los Angeles International Airport'' (1998)
* Schoneberger, William A., Ethel Pattison, and Lee Nichols. ''Los Angeles International Airport'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2009.)
External links
Los Angeles International Airport official websiteLAneXt websiteLAX Noise Management Internet Flight Tracking System*
*
View of LAX runways from inside air traffic control tower, California, 1986.Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library,
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
.
{{Authority control
1930 establishments in California
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command in North America
Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in California
Airports established in 1930
Airports in Los Angeles County, California
Transportation buildings and structures in Los Angeles
Westchester, Los Angeles
Airports in California