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* [[AirTran Airways]] (Atlanta, Indianapolis)
* [[AirTran Airways]] (Atlanta, Indianapolis)
* [[Alaska Airlines]] (Anchorage, Boise, Calgary, Cancún, Eugene, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Mexico City, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, Reno/Tahoe, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver, Washington-Reagan)
* [[Alaska Airlines]] (Anchorage, Boise, Calgary, Cancún, Eugene, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Mexico City, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, Reno/Tahoe, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver, Washington-Reagan)
** [[Horizon Air]] (Boise, Bozeman, Eugene, Medford, Santa Rosa [begins March 20, 2007], Sun Valley, Redding, Eureka/Arcata)
** [[Horizon Air]] (Boise, Bozeman, Eugene, Medford, Santa Rosa [begins March 20, 2007], Sun Valley, Redding, Redmond/Bend [begins August 1, 2006], Eureka/Arcata)
* [[ATA Airlines]] (Honolulu, Kahului)
* [[ATA Airlines]] (Honolulu, Kahului)
* [[Frontier Airlines]] (Denver, San Francisco [begins June 29, 2006])
* [[Frontier Airlines]] (Denver, San Francisco [begins June 29, 2006])

Revision as of 04:51, 10 June 2006

Template:Airport frame Template:Airport title Template:Airport image Template:Airport image Template:Airport infobox Template:Runway title Template:Runway Template:Runway Template:Runway Template:Runway Template:Airport end frame

Runway layout at LAX
"LAX" redirects here. For other uses, see LAX (disambiguation).

Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX), is the primary airport serving Los Angeles, California. It is generally referred to by Californians simply as "LAX" ([ˈɛle(ɪ)ɛks]).

It is estimated to be the world's fifth busiest airport [1], serving some 60 million passengers and more than 2 million tons of freight in 2004. It is the third busiest airport in the United States and second busiest international gateway, behind only JFK International Airport in New York City according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.[2] LAX handles more "origin and destination" (i.e. not connecting) passengers than any other airport in the world. It is a major hub for United Airlines.

LAX has service to destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Its most prominent airlines are United (19.57% of passenger traffic, combined with United Express traffic), American (15%) and Southwest (12.7%). [3] It is also a secondary hub for Delta, Northwest and Alaska Airlines.

The airport occupies some 3,425 acres (14 km²) of the city on the Pacific coast, about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of downtown Los Angeles. LAX is one of the most famous locations for commercial aircraft spotting, most notably at the so called "Imperial Hill" area (also known as Clutter's Park) in El Segundo where nearly the entire South Complex of the airport can be viewed. Another famous spotting location sits right under the final approach for runways 24 L&R on a small grass lawn next to the In-N-Out Burger restaurant, and is noted as one of the few remaining locations in Southern California where spotters may watch such a wide variety of low-flying commercial airliners from directly underneath. The airport's coastal location exposes it to fog, during which flights are occasionally diverted to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County 55.7 miles (90 km) to the east.

History

File:Laxjetage.jpg
Los Angeles Airport "Jet-Age" postcard showing the Theme Building

In 1928, the Los Angeles City Council selected 640 acres (2.6 km²) in the southern part of Westchester as the site of a new airport for the city. The fields of wheat, barley and lima beans were converted into dirt landing strips without any terminal buildings. It was named Mines Field for William W. Mines, the real estate agent who arranged the deal. The first structure, Hangar No. 1, was erected in 1929 and is now a historic landmark.

Mines Field was dedicated and opened as the official airport of Los Angeles in 1930, and the city purchased it to be a municipal airfield in 1937. The name was officially changed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941, and to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in 1949. Prior to that time, the main airport for Los Angeles was the "Grand Central Airport" in Glendale.

File:JetsonsThemeBldg.jpg
The architecture shown in The Jetsons was based on the Theme Building's exterior, then the Theme Building's interior was redesigned to have a "Jetsons" feel.

Until this time, the entire airport was located east of Sepulveda Boulevard. As the airport expanded westward to meet the Pacific Ocean, a tunnel was completed in 1953 so that Sepulveda Boulevard would pass underneath the airport's runways. It was the first tunnel of its kind.

The distinctive white "Theme Building," constructed in 1961, resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. It was designed by a team of architects and engineers headed by William Pereira and Charles Luckman, that also included Paul Williams and Welton Becket. The initial design of the building was created by James Langenheim, of the Pereira-Luckman firm. A restaurant that provides a sweeping view of the airport is suspended beneath two intersecting arches that form the legs. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a cultural and historical 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. At one time, tourist and passengers were able to take the elevator up to the roof of the "Theme Building", but after the September 11th attacks, the roof top was closed off to everyone for security reasons. It was once said the rooftop would reopen for public use, but that since been only a rumor.

The first jet service appeared at LAX in 1959, transporting passengers between LAX and New York. The first wide-bodied jets appeared in 1970 when TWA flew Boeing 747s between LAX and New York.

File:Themebuildingnight.jpg
The Theme Building decorated for Christmas, 2004

Groundbreaking for the new Tom Bradley International Terminal was conducted in 1982 by Mayor Tom Bradley and World War II aviator General James Doolittle, and the $123 million terminal was opened in 1984. In 1996, a new 277 foot (84 m) tall air traffic control tower, with overhanging awnings that shade the windows and make the building vaguely resemble a palm tree, was constructed at a cost of $29 million.

Soon afterward, fourteen plexiglass cylinders, each up to ten stories high, were placed in a circle around the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard, with additional cylinders of decreasing height following Century Boulevard eastward. The cylinders, lit from inside, slowly cycle through a rainbow of colors, and provide an additional landmark for visitors arriving by air at night.

At various points in its history, LAX has been a hub for TWA, Air California, Continental, Delta, PSA, USAir, Western Airlines, and the Flying Tiger Line.

Starting in the mid-1990s under Los Angeles Mayors Richard Riordan and James Hahn modernization and expansion plans for LAX were prepared only to be stymied by a coalition spearheaded by residents who live near the airport angry at noise, pollution and traffic impacts of the existing facility. In late 2005 newly elected L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was able to reach a compromise allowing some modernization to go forward while efforts are made to encourage future growth be spread among other facilities in the region.

On May 17, 2005, Los Angeles voters decided to keep the Los Angeles Airport Police in place. The proposal was to merge the Los Angeles Airport Police with the LAPD.

Airlines/Terminals

File:Sepulvedatunnel.jpg
Sepulveda Boulevard passes under LAX's southern runway and taxiways.

LAX has nine passenger terminals arranged in a "U" and served by a shuttle bus. In addition to these terminals, there are 2 million square feet (186,000 sq. meters) of cargo facilities at LAX, and a heliport operated by Bravo Aviation.

Terminal 1

  • Southwest Airlines (Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago-Midway, El Paso, Houston-Hobby, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Jose (CA), Tucson)
  • US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh)

Terminal 2

Terminal 3

  • AirTran Airways (Atlanta, Indianapolis)
  • Alaska Airlines (Anchorage, Boise, Calgary, Cancún, Eugene, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Mexico City, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, Reno/Tahoe, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver, Washington-Reagan)
    • Horizon Air (Boise, Bozeman, Eugene, Medford, Santa Rosa [begins March 20, 2007], Sun Valley, Redding, Redmond/Bend [begins August 1, 2006], Eureka/Arcata)
  • ATA Airlines (Honolulu, Kahului)
  • Frontier Airlines (Denver, San Francisco [begins June 29, 2006])
  • Midwest Airlines (Kansas City, Milwaukee)
  • Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
  • WestJet (Calgary)
File:LAXTerminal4interior.jpg
Interior view of Terminal 4

Terminal 4

  • American Airlines (Austin, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Las Vegas, Lihue, London-Heathrow, Los Cabos, Miami, Nashville, Newark, New York-JFK, Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Juan, San Salvador, St. Louis, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto, Vail, Washington-Dulles)
    • American Eagle (Fayetteville (AR), Fresno, Monterey, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara)
  • Qantas (See entry under Tom Bradley International Terminal)

Terminal 5

Delta Boeing 757-232 at LAX in August 2003.
  • Air Jamaica (Montego Bay)
  • China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou)
  • Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Boston, Cancún, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Guadalajara, Hartford-Springfield, Honolulu, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Kahului, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia [begins June 10], Orlando, Raleigh/Durham, Salt Lake City, Tampa)
    • Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Culiacan [begins Mar. 15, 2007], Hermosillo [begins Feb. 1, 2007], La Paz [begins Dec. 1], Loreto [begins Dec. 1], Los Mochis [begins Mar. 8, 2007], Manzanillo [begins Mar. 13, 2007], Mazatlan [begins Feb. 1, 2007], Torreon [begins Mar. 6, 2007], Zacatecas [begins Mar. 13, 2007])
    • Delta Connection operated by SkyWest (Salt Lake City)
  • Spirit Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Detroit)

Terminal 6

  • Aeroméxico (Departures) (Aguascalientes, Cancún, Guadalajara, La Paz, León, Mexico City)
  • Continental Airlines (Cleveland, Guam, Honolulu, Houston-Intercontinental, Kahului, Newark)
  • Copa Airlines (Panama City, Bogota)
  • United Airlines (International Arrivals; Cancún, Guatemala City, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, London-Heathrow, Mexico City, San Salvador, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita) Note: United Airlines mixes departures, international and domestic, between T6 and T7

Terminal 7

  • United Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Lihue, New Orleans, New York-JFK, Newark, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Washington-Dulles)

Terminal 8

  • United Airlines
    • United Express operated by SkyWest (Albuquerque, Bakersfield, Boise, Carlsbad, Colorado Springs, Fresno, Imperial, Inyokern, Modesto, Monterey, Oakland, Oklahoma City [starts September 6th, 2006], Ontario, Orange County, Oxnard, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, St. George, Tucson, Vancouver [starts September 6th, 2006], Visalia, Yuma)

Tom Bradley International Terminal

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

This terminal opened for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and is named in honor of Tom Bradley, the first African-American and longest serving (20 years) mayor of Los Angeles, and champion of LAX. The terminal is located at the west end of the passenger terminal area and is between terminals 3 and 4.

Charter

Ground transportation

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

LAX can be reached using the Century Boulevard exit on Interstate 405, or the Sepulveda Boulevard exit on Interstate 105. There is also a shuttle bus "G" that connects to the Aviation/I-105 station on the Metro Green Line light rail. The line was originally intended to connect directly to the airport, but budgetary restraints and opposition from local long-term parking lot owners impeded its progress.

Since March 15, 2006, LAWA runs two bus lines, called "The LAX FlyAway", to the various LAX terminals at least hourly, on the hour, and around the clock from Union Station in downtown LA, where connections can be made to the Metro, Metrolink and Amtrak rail systems, and also from Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. Travel time is 45 min. One way ticket is $3.- cash. Covered car parking is provided for $6.- and $4.- resp. per day up to 30 days.

Flight Path Learning Center

The Flight Path Learning Center is located at 6661 Imperial Hwy and was formally known as the "Imperial Terminal. This building used to house some charter flights and regular scheduled flights from MGM Grand Air. It sat empty for 10 years until it was re-opened as a learning center for LAX. The center contains information on the history of aviation, several pictures of the airport (some notably from famed photographer Sam Chui), as well as aircraft scale models, flight attendant uniforms, and general airline shwag (playing cards, china, magazines, signs, even a TWA gate information sign). If you ask nicely, one of the fine docents (who are usually retired flight attendants who started work in the 1950s or have been working at the airport for many years — great conversations to be had) will be glad to open one of the restricted access doors and allow you to stand out on the tarmac (behind a small fence) to get shots of the south side. The center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. While it does not provide the greatest shots for planespotters, it is definitely worth a visit.

Plane crashes and terrorism

  • On the evening of June 6, 1971, a Hughes Airwest Douglas DC-9 jetliner departed LAX on a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, when it was struck nine minutes after takeoff by a U.S. Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom 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 6, 1974, a bomb exploded near the Pan Am ticketing area at Terminal 2; two people were killed and 17 were injured.
  • On March 1, 1978, two tires burst in succession on a Continental Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 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 enroute 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 watercraft in the vicinity.
  • On February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737 landing on Runway 24L at LAX, collided upon touchdown with a SkyWest Fairchild Metroliner, Flight 5569, that had been holding in position on the same runway. The collision killed all 12 occupants of the SkyWest plane and 22 persons aboard the USAir 737.
  • Though not a crash, on September 21, 2005, JetBlue Airways Flight 292 performed an emergency landing at LAX due to a failure with its nose landing gear during retraction. The plane circled the airport to burn fuel and then attempted to land; the landing was a success with no fatalities.

See also

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