Los Angeles International Airport

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Los Angeles International Airport

IATA: LAX – ICAO: KLAX – FAA: LAX
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner City of Los Angeles
Operator Los Angeles World Airports
Serves Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location Los Angeles, California
Elevation AMSL 126 ft / 38 m
Coordinates 33°56′33″N 118°24′29″W / 33.9425, -118.40806
Website www.lawa.org/lax
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
6L/24R 8,925 2,720 Concrete
6R/24L 10,285 3,135 Concrete
7L/25R 12,091 3,685 Concrete
7R/25L 11,096 3,382 Concrete
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H3 63 19 Concrete
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]
Runway layout at LAX
Runway layout at LAX

Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX), is the primary airport serving Los Angeles, California, United States. It is often referred to by its airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually. LAX is located in southwestern Los Angeles in the neighborhood of Westchester. It is located 16 miles (27km) from the downtown core.

LAX handles more "origin and destination" (i.e. not connecting) passengers than any other airport in the world. It is the world's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic [2] and eleventh-busiest by cargo traffic, serving some 60 million passengers and more than two million tons of freight in 2004. It is the busiest airport in the state of California, and the third-busiest airport by passenger traffic in the United States based on final 2006 statistics. [3] In terms of international passengers, LAX is the second-busiest in the U.S. (behind only JFK International Airport in New York City)[4], and 20th worldwide. It is a major hub for United Airlines and a focus city for American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines.

LAX serves 87 domestic and 69 international destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Its most prominent airlines are United Airlines (20.50% of passenger traffic, combined with United Express traffic), American Airlines (15.09%) and Southwest Airlines (12.57%). [5]

United Airlines operates to the most destinations (67), followed by Delta Air Lines (46), and then American Airlines (36). United Airlines operates the most international trans-Pacific destinations (5), United, Air France, and Lufthansa lead with two destinations each in Europe, and Delta has the most destinations in Latin America (17). [6]

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 from which 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 Westchester In-N-Out Burger restaurant, and is noted as 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. The airport's coastal location exposes it to fog, during which flights are occasionally diverted to LA/Ontario International Airport in Ontario, San Bernardino County 47 miles (76 km) to the east.

Although LAX is the largest airport in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the region relies on a multiple airport system because of its vast size. Many of the area's most well-known attractions are closer to alternative airports than to LAX; for example, Hollywood and Griffith Park are closer to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank; while John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana is close to Disneyland, the Honda Center, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, and other Orange County attractions. Long Beach Airport is close to the coastal attractions known to Southern California.

After eight runway incursions (at this time of writing) in 2007[7], FAA Administrator Marion Blakey stressed the need for LAX to increase lateral separation between its pair of north runways in order to perserve the safety and efficiency of such an important airport.

Contents

Los Angeles International Airport and Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.
Los Angeles International Airport and Palos Verdes Peninsula in the background.

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.

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.

In 1958 the architecture firm Pereira & Luckman was contracted to design a master plan for the complete re-design of the airport in anticipation of the "jet age". The plan, developed along with architects Welton Becket and Paul Williams, called for a massive series of terminals and parking structures to be built in the central portion of the property, with these buildings connected at the center by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The plan was never fully realized, and shortly thereafter the Theme Building was constructed on the site originally intended for the dome.

The distinctive white "Theme Building," constructed in 1961, resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. 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, tourists and passengers were able to take the elevator up to the roof of the "Theme Building", but after the September 11 attacks, the rooftop was closed off to everyone for security reasons. It was once said the rooftop would reopen for public use, but that was determined to be 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.

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.

The Theme Building decorated with light displays for the holidays
The Theme Building decorated with light displays for the holidays

In 2000, prior to Los Angeles hosting the Democratic National Convention. fourteen acrylic glass 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. This was part of an overall facelift that included new signage and various other cosmetic enhancements.

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 July 29, 2006 Runway 7R/25L was closed for reconstruction until March 25, 2007. The reconstruction was to move the runway 55 feet south to prevent runway incursions and prepare the runway for the next generation of Airbus A380. The newly moved runway also has storm drains, and enhanced runway lighting, something that the other 3 runways do not have. The reconstruction of runway 25L made way for a central taxiway in between runways 25L and 25R. Currently, the central taxiway between runways 25L and 25R is under construction and is expected to be completed in 2008.

On September 18, 2006, Los Angeles World Airports stated a $503 million facelift of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Improvements include installing new paging, air conditioning and electrical systems, along with new elevators, escalators, baggage carousels and a digital sign that will automatically update flight information. Also a large explosives-detection machine will be incorporated into the terminal's underground baggage system, in which the federal government will fund part of the system.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in February 2007, many airlines flying outside of the United States have reduced flights to LAX and moved to other airports due to outdated terminals. Airlines flying out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal have reduced flights because the International Terminal is 22 years old and has not been upgraded.

In response to the report, the $500 million Tom Bradley International Terminal project began immediately.

On March 19, 2007, the Airbus A380 made its debut at LAX, landing on runway 24L. LA city officials fought for the super-jumbo jet to land at LAX, in addition to making its US debut in New York's JFK airport. [8]

On August 15, 2007, the Los Angeles City Council approved a $1.2 billion project to construct a new 10 gate terminal to handle international flights using the A380.[9] Adding the first new gates built since the early 1980s, the new structure is to be built directly west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal on a site that is occupied mostly by aircraft hangars with passengers ferried to the building by an underground people mover extending from the terminal.[9] It is expected to be done in 2012.

Before the 1930s, existing airports used a two-letter abbreviation based on the weather station at the airports. So, at that time, LA served as the designation for Los Angeles International Airport. But, with the rapid growth in the aviation industry, the designations expanded to three letters, and LA became LAX. The letter X does not otherwise have any specific meaning in this identifier. Moreover, the X perhaps indicates a blank letter or empty space in the code. Portland International Airport in Oregon also has a similar code PDX.[10] "LAX" is also used for the International Port of Los Angeles located in San Pedro, and for Amtrak-serving Union Station in downtown.

Sepulveda Boulevard passes under LAX's southern runway and taxiways.
Sepulveda Boulevard passes under LAX's southern runway and taxiways.

LAX has nine passenger terminals arranged in a "U," also called a "horseshoe." The terminals are served by a shuttle bus. In addition to these terminals, there are 2 million square feet (186,000 m²) of cargo facilities at LAX, and a heliport operated by Bravo Aviation.

Terminal 1 has 15 gates: 1-3, 4A-4B, 5-14. Terminal 1 was built in 1984 and is the largest of all the terminals in number of gates.

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

Note: Some TACA and Lacsa arrivals are processed at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Terminal 2 has 11 gates: 21-21B, 22-22B, 23, 24-24B, 25-28. Terminal 2 was built in 1962, and rebuilt in 1984. Terminal 2 serves as the airport's secondary international terminal after the TBIT (Tom Bradley International Terminal).

Note: International (non-Canada) arrivals are processed by customs and immigration facilities in Terminal 2 (Frontier) and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Alaska).

Terminal 3 has 13 gates: 30, 31A-31C, 32-36, 37A-37B, 38, 39. Terminal 3 opened in 1961.

  • AirTran Airways (Atlanta, Indianapolis [seasonal])
  • Alaska Airlines (Anchorage, Cancún, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz, Loreto, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Mexico City, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, San Francisco, San José del Cabo, Seattle/Tacoma, Vancouver, Washington-Reagan)
    • Horizon Air (Boise, Eugene, Eureka/Arcata, Loreto [Begins January 19], Medford, Portland (OR), Redding, Redmond/Bend, Reno/Tahoe, Santa Rosa, Seattle/Tacoma [ends January 12], Spokane, Sun Valley)
  • ATA Airlines (Honolulu, Kahului)
  • Frontier Airlines (Cabo San Lucas, Denver)
  • Midwest Airlines (Kansas City, Milwaukee, Omaha [ends January 7])
  • Spirit Airlines (Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Guatemala City [ends January 8])
  • Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)

Interior view of Terminal 4
Interior view of Terminal 4

Note: American Eagle commuter flights operate from a remote terminal 0.3 mi (500 m) west of Terminal 4. "Gate 44" serves as the shuttle bus stop at Terminal 4. The Eagle terminal is also connected by shuttle buses to Terminals 2 (Gate 22A), 3 (Gate 35), 5, and 6, because of Eagle's codesharing with Northwest/Hawaiian, Alaska, Delta, and Continental respectively.

Terminal 4 has 11 gates: 41, 42A-42B, 43A-43B, 44-49. In 2001, Terminal 4 was renovated at a cost of $400 million and has greatly improved the appearance and ergonomics of the terminal, which was built in 1962. Terminal 4 sees more passengers each year than any other terminal at LAX. With American's operations and Qantas' large 747 flights to Australia, Terminal 4 has more passengers pass through its gates than even the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

  • American Airlines (Austin, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Las Vegas, Lihue, London-Heathrow, Miami, Nashville, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, San José (CR) [seasonal], San José del Cabo, San Salvador, St. Louis, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Vail/Eagle [seasonal], Washington-Dulles)
    • American Eagle (Fayetteville (AR), Fresno, Las Vegas, Monterey, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Fe)
  • Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong) [arrivals for CX882/884 only]
  • Qantas (Sydney)

Delta Boeing 757-232 at LAX in August 2003.
Delta Boeing 757-232 at LAX in August 2003.

Terminal 5 has 13 gates: 50B, 51A-51B, 52A-52B, 53A-53B, 54A-54B, 55A-55B, 56, 57A-57B, 58A-58B. Delta Air Lines has used this terminal since its opening in 1962, and then its reopening in 1987.

  • Aeroméxico (Mexico City)
  • Air Jamaica (Montego Bay)
  • Delta Air Lines (Acapulco [seasonal], Anchorage [seasonal], Atlanta, Boston, Cancún [seasonal], Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus [seasonal], Fort Lauderdale, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Hartford, Honolulu, Jacksonville [ends January 2], Kahului, Kona [begins June 5], Las Vegas [ends January 2], Liberia (CR), Lihue [begins June 5], Managua [ends January 5], New Orleans, New York-JFK, Orlando, Puerto Vallarta, Raleigh/Durham [seasonal], Salt Lake City, Tampa, Washington-Dulles [begins June 15])
    • Delta Connection operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Boise, Culiacán, Denver, Eugene, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz (MX), Las Vegas, Los Mochis, León, Loreto, Mazatlán, Manzanillo, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), Santa Fe [begins February 14], Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Torreón, Tucson, Wichita, Zacatecas)
    • Delta Connection operated by SkyWest (Salt Lake City)

Tom Bradley International Terminal at early morning
Tom Bradley International Terminal at early morning
The LAX control tower and Theme Building as seen from Terminal 4
The LAX control tower and Theme Building as seen from Terminal 4

Terminal 6 has 14 gates: 60, 61, 62-62A, 63-66, 67A-67B, 68A-68B, 69A-69B. This terminal has changed little from its opening in 1961; in 1979, new gates were expanded from the main building, as is obvious from the rotunda at the end.

Terminal 7 has 11 gates: 70A-70B, 71A-71B, 72-74, 75A-75B, 76, 77. This terminal has seen good updating and care since its opening in 1962.

  • United Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Cancún [seasonal], Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Frankfurt, Guatemala City, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Lihue, London-Heathrow, Melbourne, Mexico City, New Orleans, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Francisco, San Salvador, Seattle/Tacoma, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles)

Terminal 8 has 9 gates: 80-88. This terminal was added for smaller jets and turboprops in 1988 and formerly served Shuttle by United flights. In 2002, United Airlines decided to move all non-United Express flights out of Terminal 8 to Terminals 6 and 7.

  • United Airlines
    • United Express operated by SkyWest (Albuquerque, Aspen [seasonal], Austin [begins February 13], Bakersfield, Boise, Carlsbad, Colorado Springs, Dallas/Fort Worth, Des Moines [begins February 13], Fresno, Imperial, Inyokern, Modesto, Monterey, Montrose [seasonal], Oakland, Oklahoma City, Ontario [ends January 7], Orange County [ends January 7], Oxnard, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Portland, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Seattle/Tacoma, St. George, Tucson, Vancouver, Wichita, Yuma)

The Tom Bradley International Terminal has 11 gates, including five on the north concourse (113-123) and six on the south concourse (101-112).

This terminal opened for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and is named in honor of Tom Bradley, the first African-American and longest serving (20 years) mayor of Los Angeles, and champion of LAX. The terminal is located at the west end of the passenger terminal area between Terminals 3 and 4. There are 34 airlines that serve the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the terminal handles 10 million passengers per year.

The decrepit terminal is currently undergoing major renovations to undergo a facelift (to compete with San Francisco International Airport's flagship international terminal), though no new gates will be added. The renovations are expected to be completed by 2009-2010.

One of the large LAX signs that greet visitors to LAX. This sign is at the Century Boulevard entrance to Los Angeles International Airport
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 (and several more northern exits) on Interstate 405, or the Sepulveda Boulevard exit on Interstate 105.

Out of a number of bus systems, many routes (local, rapid and express) of the LACMTA, Line 6 of the Culver CityBus system, Line 8 of Torrance Transit, and the regular as well as the rapid buses of the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus system's Line 3 all make stops at, among other nearby stop locations, the LAX City Bus Center in Parking Lot C. on 96th St., where shuttle bus "C" offers free connections to and from every LAX terminal.

Main article: FlyAway Bus

LAWA runs a shuttle service called the FlyAway Bus. The FlyAway travels between one of three terminals, and stops at every LAX terminal. The service is operated 24 hours a day with each line operating at least one trip per hour, with more trips during the day, with the exception of the line to and from Westwood, which does not run in the early morning hours. The one way ticket price is $4 cash for adults, $2 for children aged 2-12 and free for children under age 2. All terminals offer optional remote passenger and baggage check-in services for $5 per person. All lines use Los Angeles's system of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to expedite their trips.

Routes:

  • Union Station/LAX- Travels between LAX and the Patsaouras Transit Plaza at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. At Union Station connections can be made to Metro Rail, Metrolink, Amtrak, and Amtrak California rail services, the Metro Transitway system, and bus services operated by Amtrak California, Metro, and other regional operators. The trip takes between 25 and 45 minutes depending on traffic. Although the route is mostly intended for travelers who wish to make a connection to rail or bus services, Union Station also offers parking for $6 a day, with a 30-day limit. [11]
  • Westwood/LAX- Travels between LAX and the FlyAway terminal located at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Westwood The route is mainly intended for students, staff, and faculty of UCLA and residents of Westwood Village. The buses leave from UCLA parking structure 32. There is a parking garage available for those who wish to drive to UCLA/Westwood to pick up or drop off passengers; overnight parking is only offered from 3pm Friday until 7am Monday.

China Airlines operates private bus services from LAX to Monterey Park and Rowland Heights for its passengers. [12]

Shuttle bus "G" offers a free connection to the Aviation/I-105 station on the Metro Green Line. The line was originally intended to connect directly to the airport, but budgetary restraints and opposition from local long-term parking lot owners impeded its progress. A Metro Rail extension to LAX is a part of both LAX and LACMTA's master plans.

Taxicab services are operated by nine city-authorized taxi companies and regulated by Authorized Taxicab Supervision Inc. (ATS). ATS maintains a taxicab holding lot under the 96th Street Bridge where, at peak periods, hundreds of cabs queue up to wait their turn to pull into the central terminal area to pick up riders. A number of private shuttle companies, among them Prime Time Shuttle ([1]), SuperShuttle([2]), and Roadrunner Shuttle ([3]) provide door-to-door airport transportation as well. X-Press Shuttle operated door-to-door airport transportation until 2001, when they lost their contract to maintain a shared ride vans station at LAX.

The Flight Path Learning Center is a museum located at 6661 Imperial Highway and was formerly known as the "West Imperial Terminal." This building used to house some charter flights (Condor Airlines) and regular scheduled flights by MGM Grand Air. It sat empty for 10 years until it was re-opened as a learning center for LAX.

The center contains information on the history of aviation, several pictures of the airport, as well as aircraft scale models, flight attendant uniforms, and general airline memorabilia such as playing cards, china, magazines, signs, even a TWA gate information sign.

The museum claims to be "the only aviation museum and research center situated at a major airport and the only facility with a primary emphasis on contributions of civil aviation to the history and development of Southern California". [13] However, there are other museums at major airports including the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum adjacent to Washington Dulles Airport, the Royal Thai Air Force Museum at Don Muang Airport, the Suomenilmailumuseo (Finnish Aviation Museum) at Vantaa (Helsinki Airport), the Frontier of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field, and others.

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2006)

  • On October 3, 1958, two Douglas DC-7s nearly collided head on, crashing their wings together in mid-air. One of the planes crashed, resulting in 53 deaths, including one, (a New Zealander by the name of Jaxin Hall) by decapitation via the toilet room door as it was sucked out by the extreme change in cabin pressure.

  • 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 August 31, 1986, Aeromexico Flight 498, a DC-9 en route from Mexico City, Mexico to Los Angeles, began its descent into LAX when a Piper Cherokee collided with the DC-9's left horizontal stabilizer over Cerritos, California, causing the DC-9 to crash into a residential neighborhood. All 64 passengers and crew aboard the Aeromexico flight were killed, in addition to 15 on the ground. 5 homes were destroyed and an additional 7 were damaged by the crash and resulting fire. The 3 occupants of the Piper were killed immediately when the two planes collided; their aircraft went down in a nearby schoolyard and caused no further injuries on the ground. As a result of this incident, FAA required all commercial aircraft to be equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

  • On September 21, 2005, a JetBlue A320 (JetBlue Flight 292) discovered a problem with its landing gear as it took off from Bob Hope Airport. It flew in circles for three hours to burn off fuel, then landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport, balancing on its back wheels as it rolled down the center of the runway. Passengers were able to watch their own coverage live from the satellite broadcast on JetBlue in-flight TV seat displays of their plane as it made an emergency landing with the front landing gear visibly becoming damaged. JetBlue does not serve LAX, so the aircraft was evaluated and repaired at a United Airlines hangar. [14]
  • On August 16, 2007 a serious runway incursion occurred between West Jet Flight 900 and Northwest Airlines Flight 180, with the aircraft coming within 37 feet of each other. The planes were carrying a combined total of 296 people, none of whom were injured. The NTSB is currently investigating the incident.[15]

  • In the film Speed, a bus is rigged with a bomb that will explode if the bus's speed drops below 50 miles per hour. After running through the congested Los Angeles traffic and getting on the freeway, Jack Traven finally directs the bus to enter LAX so it can safely move around without being a danger.
  • In the ending of Turbulence Lauren Holly attempts to land a Boeing 747-200 on 25L but has problems. She then travels over the Pacific, turns back, and lands safely.
  • In the ABC TV show Lost, Oceanic Flight 815 was traveling from Sydney to LAX.
  • The final scene in the movie Heat takes place in the commercial part of LAX.
  • The architecture in The Jetsons was based on the Theme Building (see picture above).
  • The 1974 film Earthquake features the Theme Building and Terminal 5 as part of the destruction sequence (although both structures survive the quake). For the 1976 "television version" of the film, additional footage features an aircraft attempting to land on a runway breaking up during the quake.
  • The 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever has James Bond arrive at LAX with Tiffany Case with a coffin of the body of diamond smuggler Peter Franks (with whom Bond has switched identities) which the coffin conceals a hidden cache of diamonds that would be transferred to Las Vegas by Tiffany, Bond, and the diamond smuggling syndicate Bond has infiltrated.
  • The 1979 James Bond film Moonraker also has James Bond arrive at LAX to meet helicopter pilot Corine Dufour who would show Bond an aerial tour of the Drax Space Center outside Los Angeles.
  • In 1991 Michael Jackson released his heavily anticipated album Dangerous, which saw an incident at the Los Angeles International Airport where a group of armed robbers stole 30,000 copies of the new album before its official release.[16]
  • LAX appeared in the car racing video game L.A. Rush.
  • In the video game L.A Rush the player is able to go down to LAX, but not enter the runway areas.
  • In the Nickelodeon movie, Drake and Josh Go Hollywood, Walter and Audrey go on a cruise and Megan is supposed to go to DEN. But the flight number was reversed so Megan went to LAX instead.
  • In the film, Bean, Dr. Bean is seen leaving from the Tom Bradley International Terminal in LAX

It is called "XLAX", an allusion to the "X" in LAX

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

  1. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for LAX (Form 5010 PDF), retrieved 03/15/2007
  2. ^ http://www.airports.org/cda/aci/display/main/aci_content.jsp?zn=aci&cp=1-5_9_2_
  3. ^ Passenger Traffic 2006 FINAL from Airports Council International
  4. ^ http://www.bts.gov/publications/us_international_travel_and_transportation_trends/html/table10.html#1
  5. ^ http://www.lawa.org/lax/statistics/pdf/aircarrier-2005.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.lawa.org/lax/statistics/pdf/aircarrier-2005.pdf
  7. ^ http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aviationdaily&id=news/NTSB08237.xml&headline=NTSB%20Investigating%20Runway%20Incursion%20At%20Los%20Angeles
  8. ^ http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5132965
  9. ^ a b Steve Hymon, Council OKs 10 new gates at LAX, Los Angeles Times, August 16, 2007
  10. ^ http://www.l-a-x.org/lax/laxFAQs.cfm#q23%5d
  11. ^ http://www.metro.net/multimedia/video/lax_flyaway.m4v
  12. ^ "Complimentary Bus Service to LAX," China Airlines
  13. ^ http://www.flightpath.us/#Visiting
  14. ^ http://kstp.com/article/stories/S10647.html?cat=1
  15. ^ OPS07IA009A
  16. ^ Flashbacks!. beach-bulletin.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.

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See also Beverly Hills · Culver City · Marina del Rey · Platinum Triangle · Santa Monica
Downtown · Eastside · Harbor Area · Greater Hollywood · Westlake & Silver Lake/Los Feliz · San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys · South Los Angeles · Westside · Wilshire
v • d • e
Transportation in Greater Los Angeles
Commuter Rail and Subways: Metrolink • Metro Red Line (LACMTA) • Metro Purple Line (LACTMA) • Metro Blue Line (LACTMA) • Metro Green Line (LACMTA) • Metro Gold Line (LACMTA)
Amtrak Rail Routes:Pacific Surfliner (Amtrak California) • Coast Starlight (Amtrak) • Southwest Chief (Amtrak) • Sunset Limited (Amtrak) • Texas Eagle (Amtrak)
Airports: Los Angeles International Airport • LA/Ontario International Airport • John Wayne Airport • Long Beach Airport • Bob Hope Airport • Palm Springs International Airport • LA/Palmdale Regional Airport • San Bernardino International Airport
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_International_Airport"
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