LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RANKED BEST FOR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE AMONG NATION'S BUSIEST AIRPORTS

(Los Angeles, California – May 14, 2010)  Los AngelesInternationalAirport(LAX) ranked best among the nation’s busiest airports (more than 40 million annual passengers) for on-time performance for flight arrivals and departures, according to U.S. Department of Transportation statistics released this week.  LAX also is the number one Origin and Destination (O&D) airport in the U.S., according to aviation industry data source Airports:USA® DataMiner.    

The average on-time performance of airlines serving LAX improved to 85 percent in March 2010 from 83 percent in March 2009.  According to the DOT, the nation’s 18 top air carriers recorded an 80 percent average on-time performance in March 2010 compared to 78.4 percent in March 2009.

LAX officials attribute the airport’s high on-time performance record primarily to Southern California’s good weather.

Airports:USA® Dataminer’s latest publicly available Airport Traffic Review ranked LAX number one in O&D passenger volume with a 2.9 percent increase in O&D passengers from 7,481,709 in third quarter 2008 to 7,697,702 in the same quarter 2009.  O&D passengers begin or end their trips at an airport, rather than connect to other flights at that airport.  O&D passengers have a higher, positive impact on the local economy in terms of business, tourism and consumer spending. O&D passengers also have a greater impact on airport facilities and services, including ground transportation, airline check-in, passenger and luggage security screening, customs and immigration processing, and baggage claim.    

            Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the third busiest airport in the U.S.and sixth 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 on over 75 carriers.  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.