LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ANNOUNCES FIRST-QUARTER PASSENGER VOLUME UP 5.4 PERCENT

(Los Angeles, California - April 29, 2010)  Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) today announced passenger volume at Los AngelesInternationalAirport(LAX) increased 5.4 percent to 13,314,854 during the first three months of this year.  

Domestic traffic rose 4.5 percent to 9,574,185 passengers from 9,153,763 during first quarter last year.  International passenger traffic rose 7.5 percent to 3,740,669 passengers during first quarter 2010 compared to 3,478,421 passengers during the same period in 2009.

Total air cargo volume for the first quarter up 24.6 percent with 444,653 tons, compared to 356,665 tons last year.

“Since late last year we have seen a slow increase in passenger volume due to some improvement in the economy further assisted by additional service on existing routes from airlines like Continental, VAustralia and American Eagle,” said LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.  “A promising indicator for the immediate future is Alitalia’s decision to launch LAX-Rome service this summer and Allegiant Airlines expansion of service domestically.  The next several months will confirm the extent to which recent upward movement in traffic is the foundation of a sustained pattern.”      

            Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the sixth busiest airport in the world, offering more than 565 daily flights to 81 destinations in the U.S. and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 65 international destinations.  LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a department of the City of Los Angeles.