LAX PROJECTS 200,000 PASSENGERS PER DAY FOR WINTER HOLIDAY TRAVEL
For Immediate Release
Dec. 15, 2022
Contact:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
(Los Angeles) ‘Twas a week before Christmas and all through the airport, LAX staff prepare to help and support. With 200,000 passengers per day, the team will help travelers have fun on their way. Carolers will roam the terminal halls, while police officers help stop the worst traffic stalls. Drivers should plan their parking right now, for garages will be quite full – this we will vow. So, arrive early this holiday season and be nice, and keep reading below for some other advice.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is forecasting a busy winter holiday travel period that is expected to draw an average of 200,000 passengers per day, from Dec. 16, 2022 through Jan. 3, 2023. Traffic around the Central Terminal Area is expected to surge with as many as 89,000 vehicles in a single day from Dec. 19-21 – a 12% increase compared to the current daily average.
"LAX wishes our guests, employees and partners a very happy holiday season as we create a smooth and enjoyable travel experience," said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. "We ask that you come to the airport prepared by planning your parking ahead of time and arriving early, especially if you are traveling with us on one of our peak travel days."
The airport expects peak travel days to be Dec. 16, 18, 19, 23 and Jan. 2, with as many as 215,000 passenger using the airport during each of those days. LAX ranks as one of the busiest airports in the country and has seen passenger levels rising for the holiday season.
Peak travel days include:
- Dec. 16 – 213,808
- Dec. 18 – 214,505
- Dec. 19 – 201,208
- Dec. 23 – 211,511
- Jan. 2 – 209,326
With heavy traffic around the airport and parking garages expected to fill up, guests are highly encouraged to reserve a space online ahead of time at Parking.FLYLAX.com, which allows guests to book a space in the LAX Economy Parking facility, as well as the Central Terminal Area garages. Pre-booking is the only way travelers will have a guaranteed space at the airport.
Travelers also are asked to consider using alternative transportation including the LAX FlyAway, or get dropped off at the LAX Economy Parking Facility and use the free terminal shuttle there. LAX Economy Parking offers a 24-hour, frequent and free shuttle service from the facility to the terminals, and uses a dedicated lane within the Central Terminal Area to provide the fastest service possible.
Passengers traveling with United Airlines or Southwest Airlines may also participate in the LAX Fast Lane program, which allows travelers using participating terminals (Terminals 1, 7 and 8) to reserve a 15-minute window at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening areas for the fastest service using a dedicated lane, at no cost. This pilot program was extended to include Terminal 1 and Southwest Airlines for the holiday travel season.
To help make the travel experience as smooth as possible for our guests during the holidays, LAX will deploy additional resources in and around the terminals. That includes additional traffic control officers from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), paramedic bike teams from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), and the Team of LAXceptional Courtesy (TLC) volunteers, who will be in the terminals on select days to provide guest assistance and pass out giveaways. LAX's volunteer Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUP) teams also will be making the rounds, along with our Volunteer Information Professionals (VIPs) and Guest Experience Members (GEMs).
LAX, the sixth-busiest airport in the world serving nearly 66 million guests in 2022, is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary, revenue-generating department of the City of Los Angeles that also governs Van Nuys Airport (VNY). As the international gateway to the Southern California region, LAX and its partners are dedicated to meeting global airport standards for customer satisfaction, safety, regional economic leadership, organizational performance and sustainability.
To better serve the millions of domestic and international guests that travel through LAX each year, the airport is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program to modernize its entire campus. Initiatives underway include an Automated People Mover, a Consolidated Rental Car Facility and two projects that will each add over one million square feet to the airport's existing property: Terminal 9 and Concourse 0. For more information about LAX, its transformation and its environmental, social and local workforce commitments, please visit flylax.com. Follow LAX on X (formally Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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.