WEATHER ELSEWHERE IN THE U.S. CAUSING SOME FLIGHT DELAYS DURING HOLIDAY TRAVEL DAY AT LAX

(Los Angeles, California – December 27, 2016) Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials report winter weather in parts of the U.S. is causing some flight delays, but few cancellations.  From midnight to noon airlines are reporting 43 arrival delays, 23 departure delays, 2 arrival and 0 departure flight cancellations. 

LAWA officials want to stress that reports of delays being caused by runway construction, are not accurate.  The U.S. Congress mandated all the nation’s airports complete Runway Safety Area (RSA) improvements that will provide an extra margin of safety for landing and departing aircraft. Improvements on the fourth and final runway, 7L/25R began in late October.  “RSA improvements began at LAX in March 2015, and are being completed in phases to limit impacts to operations,” said LAWA Chief of External Affairs Trevor Daley.  “All four runways at LAX are being used, and have not impacted operations during this holiday travel period.  December is not even the busiest time at LAX – July saw passenger volumes reaching 254,000, and runway construction taking place at that time did not impact airport operations.”

LAX is forecasting a recording breaking holiday travel period with an estimated 4.3 million travelers, 9.5 percent above last year’s record 3.9 million passengers, an additional 400,000 passengers.  

The 19-day holiday period is from Friday, December 16, through Tuesday, January 3.  Wednesday, December 21 and Friday, December 23, were extremely busy days with passenger numbers nearing 239,000 travelers. 

The slowest days were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and there will also be fewer passengers New Year’s Eve with some 198,000 travelers.  By comparison, LAX averages 221,000 passengers a day year.  The increased volume that continues to impact flight operations is due to a number of factors:     

-       Weather impacts at other U.S. airports that are causing arrival delays, which in turn can contribute to departure delays at LAX

-       LAX averages 1750 to 1800 daily operations – during this holiday travel period, operations during some of the busiest days have increased to more than 1900

-       Increased volume – an additional 400,000 passengers this holiday travel period

-       Increased aircraft to meet the volume demand

-       Gate management issues, airlines having difficulty managing the volume of aircraft and not having enough gate space

-       A shortage of airline gates causing planes to be held on the runway after arriving at LAX

-       Increased passenger volume that has added to wait times at airline ticket counters   

The holiday travel related impacts to the guest experience continue to be of great concern to Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) officials.  “While some of the delays our passengers are experiencing today are being caused by weather conditions elsewhere in the U.S.,” said Daley, “the additional volume of passengers and management of terminal gates will be addressed with our airline partners.  It is in all of our best interest to find solutions to better accommodate the increasing number of people who want to use LAX.”

Over the past several days, airport staff have continued to communicate to travelers to expect a lot of traffic in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) -- more than 1.8 million vehicles.  The week before Christmas averaged more than 103,000 vehicles daily, peaking on Wednesday, December 21 with 108,000 vehicles.  The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day will average 95,000 vehicles. 

  Nearly 106,000 vehicles are expected on Monday, January 2 and Tuesday, January 3.  By comparison, LAX’s daily average number of vehicles is 90,000.

Motorists and passengers waiting for public transportation have been advised they should plan for delays of up to 30 minutes during periods of traffic congestion in the CTA.  Passengers have also been reminded that they can do their part to help reduce traffic congestion by taking shared-ride public transportation to/from LAX, including:  Metro Rail Green Line; door-to-door shuttle vans; and long-distance and municipal buses.  The airport also offers inexpensive and convenient FlyAway® buses from Hollywood, Long Beach, Metro Orange Line (San Fernando Valley), Union Station, Van Nuys, and Westwood/UCLA. 

In time for the holidays, shared-ride services uberPOOL and Lyft Line are now available at LAX.  The companies match riders going in the same direction, reducing the fare for each rider and the number of vehicles in the CTA.     

Rather than circling the Central Terminal Area until arriving passengers reach terminal curbside for pick up, motorists have been using the LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot at 6221 West 96th Street (96th Street and Vicksburg Avenue), adjacent to the entrance of LAX Parking Lot C).  Motorists can park and wait up to two hours free. 

To help keep traffic and passengers moving, and reduce the stress of travel, passengers have been told to expect: 

•           A moratorium on construction and utility shut-downs in public areas inside and outside the airline terminals, parking lots, and traffic lanes went into effect at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21 and will end at 9 p.m. tonight, December 27.  For the New Year, a moratorium will being at 6 a.m. on Thursday, December 29 and end at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4.

•           Los Angeles World Airports employee volunteers in black vests, comprising this year’s Team of LAXceptional Courtesy (TLC), were in terminals and on sidewalks offering assistance and information to passengers December 21 and 23, the two busiest holiday travel days.

  •           LAX’s popular PUPs therapy dogs are out in force providing comfort to passengers feeling stress from holiday travel.

•           Los Angeles Airport Police are on enhanced deployment for high visibility and traffic management.

            “While we are seeing fewer flight delays and cancellations, we know January 2 and 3 will be very busy travel days,” said Daley.  “We want travelers to know that LAWA, airline and airport employees care about our passengers, and we will do everything we can to manage the increased volume of passengers and planes.”

  About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

            LAX is the seventh busiest airport in the world and third in the United States.  LAX served more than 74.9 million passengers in 2015.  LAX offers 742 daily nonstop flights to 101 cities in the U.S. and 1,273 weekly nonstop flights to 76 cities in 41 countries on 64 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.1 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 655,564 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2015. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,610 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion.  This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues.  The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital-improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion, $966 million in state and local taxes, and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

            LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports including Van Nuys general aviation, which are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.