OFFICIALS FORECAST 820,000 LAX TRAVELERS FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

05/21/2008 12:00 AM

OFFICIALS FORECAST 820,000 LAX TRAVELERS FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

            (Los Angeles, California – May 21, 2008)  Air travelers passing through Los AngelesInternationalAirport (LAX) over the Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer travel season can expect busy passenger terminals and mostly full flights.  U.S. air carriers are anticipating flights will be 85 percent full this summer.

            During the upcoming four-day Memorial Day weekend, approximately 820,000 travelers are expected to depart and arrive at LAX, with the busiest travel days on Friday, May 23, and Monday, May 26.  Meanwhile, 19.6 million passengers are forecast over the summer travel season beginning Friday and continuing through Sept. 8.

            Overall, passenger volumes at LAX this summer will be roughly the same as they were last summer with declines in domestic travelers offset by increases in international passengers.  Domestic travel is expected to be down about two percent while the number of international travelers will increase to more than 5.5 million, about five percent higher than last summer.

            Approximately two million passengers are expected at LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) this summer, a decrease of about five percent from last summer, with approximately 80,000 passengers during the Memorial Day weekend.  At LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD), an estimated 8,700 summer travelers will take advantage of regional jet service that began in June 2007 connecting the AntelopeValley to San Francisco.

            Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the city agency that operates LAX, ONT and PMD, said the airports are ready for another busy summer travel season and expressed confidence that air travelers will be well served, as she was joined at a news conference in the shadow of the iconic LAX Theme Building by LAX Federal Security Director Larry Fetters of the Transportation Security Administration, and Acting Port Director Lorraine Henderson of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

            “Los Angeles World Airports is working closely with the airlines and federal agencies to ensure that air passengers are safe and secure while in the airport and in flight,” Lindsey said.  “At the same time, we want travelers to have a positive, hassle-free, customer experience.”

            LAX travelers can take advantage of a number of amenities and services this summer including:

  • The popular LAX FlyAway bus service from Union Station, Van Nuys and Westwood at a modest cost of $4 one way for adults and $2 for children ages 2 to 12 (www.lawa.org/lax/laxflyaway.cfm);
  • The re-opened Encounter Restaurant located in the Theme Building at the heart of the Central Terminal Area serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and dinner from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday;
  • Wireless Internet service and electric charging stations for portable electronic devices in all terminals; and
  • A brighter, roomier and more comfortable Federal Inspection Service area as renovations in the Tom Bradley International Terminal proceed on schedule with larger, more efficient baggage claim carousels, new work stations for Customs and Border Protection officers, new luggage inspection stations, new utilities and plumbing, and new restrooms.  Many of the terminal’s boarding gates, concourses and airline check-in counters also have undergone complete renovations, and new state-of-the-art airline lounges have been developed.

            In recent months, nine international carriers have announced new Los Angeles routes, adding 126 arrivals and departures a week at LAX.  Of those, several will begin service this summer, contributing to the anticipated increase in international passengers:

·         Alitalia begins non-stop service five times a week between LAX and Rome, effective June 1;

·         Korean Air begins non-stop service three times a week between LAX and São Paulo, Brazil, effective June 2; and

·         Emirates begins daily, non-stop service between LAX and Dubai, effective Sept. 1.

            This year, international arrivals at LAX are up 6.5 percent overall, with those from South America up 19 percent; Europe 13 percent, Oceania five percent and Asia three percent, according to data from LA Inc./The Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau, LAWA’s marketing partner in attracting new international air service.

            The additional 126 arrivals and departures will produce an estimated annual economic impact of more than $5.6 billion and sustain 28,000 jobs paying cumulative wages of $1.4 billion, according to a recent study by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

            Beginning in June, leisure travelers from China will be able to visit the U.S. in group tours under a memorandum of understanding signed by both nations, which is expected to boost tourism from China, already Los Angeles’ fasting growing overseas visitor market.  Between 2002 and 2007, the number of Los Angeles visitors from China more than doubled from approximately 60,000 to 131,000, with each visitor spending an average of $900 per stay.  Travel from China to Los Angeles is expected to increase between 50 and 100 percent by 2009.

            LAX passengers are advised to arrive three hours ahead of their scheduled departure for international flights and two hours before domestic departures.  Passengers should arrive 90 minutes prior to departure at LA/Ontario and one hour before departure at LA/Palmdale.

            LA/Palmdale passengers can take advantage of the Palmdale Flyer express bus service from Van Nuys and the Santa Clarita Valley (www.lawa.org/pmd/pmdbus.cfm).  The Palmdale Flyer is operated by the Antelope Valley Transit Authority under contract with the County of Los Angeles in cooperation with the City of Palmdale and LAWA.

            Passengers are also advised to tune car radios to AirRadio 530AM at LAX and AirRadio 770AM at ONT, the official sources for traffic and parking conditions, security measures, terminal conditions and airline locations 24 hours a day.  LAX passengers can also obtain dependable information from LAX Ambassadors, who roam the airport terminals on the arrival and departure levels.

            To help conserve fuel, reduce traffic congestion in the Central Terminal Area and avoid parking fees, motorists waiting to pick up arriving passengers at LAX are urged to use the free LAX cell phone waiting lot at 9011 Airport Boulevard, north of Parking Lot C and adjacent to the U.S. Post Office’s airport station.

            Since many summer-time passengers are infrequent travelers, airport officials are advising passengers to check the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Web site (www.tsa.gov) for up-to-date lists of prohibited items for checked luggage and carry-on bags.
            The airports also offer several "Smart Traveler Tips" to help passengers process quickly through airline and security procedures on their websites at www.lawa.org.

Back To Top