INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRAVELERS GIVE LAX HIGH MARKS

(Los Angeles, CA – January 8, 2001) In a survey of frequent business travelers, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is ranked as the top West Coast airport for business flights from the U.S. to international destinations.

Business Traveler magazine reported in its December 2000/January 2001 issue the results of its 12th annual Reader Survey Awards. Its readers, who frequently spend nearly one month per year traveling for business, ranked LAX third after Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta Hartsfield among all North American international airports.

The magazine editors said the reason the leading three airports earned a top ranking from the most discriminating of travelers is that they all shared at least one thing in common: "They continue to upgrade their facilities to keep pace with the sheer numbers and the technical and human demands that come with them."

Los Angeles World Airports Deputy Executive Director Kim Day said, " We are pleased Business Traveler’s readers are recognizing the improvements we are making at LAX as part of our $112-million Gateway Enhancements Project. In addition to our beautifully lighted pylons on Century Boulevard, the work includes new landscaping, improved signage, a new public address system, and pedestrian walkways."

In January through November 2000, LAX served 15,940,455 international travelers, up 9.41 percent over 1999. The airport offers 968 flights per week to internationaldestinations.

In another recent industry survey, LAX is the preferred gateway for 10 of the 39 most popular international destinations, exceeding airports in New York, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago in the number of high-volume routes. In the 10 busiest routes from the United States to overseas destinations, Los Angeles is the leader in three of them.