LAX FORECASTS RECORD 1.2 MILLION TRAVELERS DURING JULY 4 HOLIDAY WEEKEND
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officials are forecasting a record 1.207 million travelers will pass through the airport this July 4 holiday weekend – an increase of 9.7 percent over last year’s record 1.1 million passengers. The holiday weekend begins Friday, July 1 through Tuesday, July 5. Friday is expected to be the busiest day with nearly 265,000 travelers.
Passengers and motorists should plan ahead and be prepared for traffic congestion on the roadways in and around LAX and crowded terminals. The volume of traffic in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) will be especially high over the holiday weekend, with Friday and Monday being the busiest days with more than 100,000 vehicles. This is higher than the normal daily average of 90,000 vehicles. Motorists and passengers waiting for public transportation are advised to expect and plan for delays of up to 30 minutes during periods of traffic congestion in the CTA.
To reduce traffic congestion, passengers are encouraged to take 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 provides inexpensive and convenient FlyAway® buses from Hollywood, Long Beach, Metro Orange Line (San Fernando Valley), Santa Monica, Union Station, Van Nuys, and Westwood/UCLA.
Rather than circling the Central Terminal Area until arriving passengers reach terminal curbside for pick up, motorists can park and wait up to two hours free at the LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot at 6221 West 96th Street (96th Street and Vicksburg adjacent to the entrance of LAX Parking Lot C).
Airport officials recommend departing travelers factor in the additional time for traffic congestion and arrive in their airline terminals at least two hours prior to boarding time for domestic flights and at least three hours before boarding time for international flights.
Travel experts attribute this holiday’s record passenger increase at LAX to several factors: more available seats as airlines at LAX continue to transition existing flights to larger aircraft with extra seats; the addition of five new international airlines during the first six months of this year; current airlines adding flights on existing and new routes; increased tourism in Los Angeles; and lower airfares compared to last year due to lower jet fuel prices.
Airport officials emphasize that passengers should obey a federal ban on bringing fireworks of any kind on board an aircraft -- either in checked luggage or as carry-on items. Because fireworks are fire or explosive hazards, these items could cause flight delays while authorities search through checked luggage and personal belongings. For a comprehensive list of items that are permitted and prohibited in carry-on or checked luggage, visit www.tsa.gov. Travelers also are encouraged to enroll in TSA Prev® or other trusted-traveler programs such as Customs & Border Protection’s Global Entry, which improve security and reduce wait times.
Airport Safety and Security
The safety and security of passengers, airport workers, and visitors is the number one priority of Los Angeles Airport Police Division (APD). In light of the recent attack at Istanbul Atatürk Airport in Turkey and the July 4th holiday travel period, Airport Police remains vigilant and will be highly visible on foot, motorcycles, and bicycles; in patrol vehicles; and managing traffic.
There have been no credible threats made to LAX. Airport Police constantly assesses intelligence and events, both domestically and abroad. Airport Police officers assigned to the Joint Regional Intelligence Center and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force receive and share real-time intelligence to proactively mitigate security threats.
Airport Police constantly reviews the security measures in place, and will enhance and improve security as needed. The traveling public is encouraged to report all suspicious activity to Airport Police at 310-646-4268 or at 877-A-THREAT/877-284-7328. If you “See Something, Say Something. Security is Everybody's Business.”
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 three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that 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.
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
