LAX TRAVEL ADVISORY: PLAN AHEAD FOR WEEKEND TRAVEL – INFORMATION FOR LAX TRAVELERS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH ITINERARIES THAT INCLUDE FLORIDA, CUBA, OR SOUTHERN MEXICO

PLAN AHEAD FOR WEEKEND TRAVEL – INFORMATION FOR LAX TRAVELERS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH ITINERARIES THAT INCLUDE FLORIDA, CUBA, OR SOUTHERN MEXICO  

Easy to find information for travelers looking for the status of their flights, as well as members of the media interested in finding data on weekend travel disruptions.

            (Los Angeles, California – September 8, 2017)  Like many people throughout the U.S. and the world, the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) family has been watching as hundreds of thousands of people recover from Hurricane Harvey, brace for the full impact of Hurricane Irma, or endure the recent magnitude 8.1 earthquake off of the southern Mexican coast. These natural disasters not only impact the daily lives of those in the regions affected, but also disrupt the travel plans of those going to, from, and through the local airports.

            Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officials are currently monitoring developments related to Hurricane Irma and the recent earthquake, and are in constant contact with airports in the affected regions, as well as the airlines that operate between LAX and those airports.

We advise our guests to check with their airlines for the latest updates to their itineraries, including delays or cancellations to flights.  The airline may be able to offer additional assistance in the event that a flight has been affected by recent events.

Additionally, staff from our LAX Guest Services division will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to assist stranded passengers with information and basic assistance to help them through these events.  Members of our PUPs (Pets Unstressing Passengers) program will have service dogs located throughout the terminals to offer support to guests.

For those whose travel plans recently included LAX in connection with an affected area, including Florida, Cuba, or Southern Mexico, LAX staff offers the following information to ensure that travelers can make informed decisions and the necessary preparations as a result of recent events.

            For today, LAX officials were informed of 15 cancelled flights, in addition to two delays, due to Hurricane Irma. These cancellations are comprised of both arrivals and departures between LAX and Miami International (MIA), and also between LAX and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL).  There are no cancelled flights between LAX and Havana due to Irma today. Additionally, there have been no reported disruptions to LAX travel to or from airports located close to the epicenter of the recent earthquake, which include Xoxocotlan (OAX) and Benito Juarez International (MEX) airports in Mexico, and La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatamala.

Media and members of the public can track domestic airport closures through the Federal Aviation Administration’s website, www.faa.gov, and use the site’s “Check Airport Status and Delays” feature. Simply enter an airport’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) code (e.g, LAX) into the box and press “Go” for the airport’s status.

(Note for media only: Flight cancellations and can also be tracked through FlightStats.com.)

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

           LAX is the fourth busiest airport in the world, second in the United States, and was named one of Skytrax’ 2017 Top 10 Most Improved Airports.  LAX served more than 80.9 million passengers in 2016.  LAX offers 737 daily nonstop flights to 100 cities in the U.S. and 1,386 weekly nonstop flights to 88 cities in 44 countries on 73 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.2 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 697,138 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2016. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,600 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 also the second most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with 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.