# Los Angeles International Airport
**Los Angeles International Airport** (LAX) serves as the main commercial airfield for the Los Angeles metropolitan area and is run by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a self-funding department belonging to the City of Los Angeles that likewise oversees Van Nuys Airport.[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) It handled approximately 76.59 million passengers in calendar year 2024, making it the fifth busiest airport in the United States by passenger volume on preliminary data reported by individual airports.[2](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf) Its FAA location identifier is LAX and its ICAO identifier is KLAX.[3](https://enasr.faa.gov/eNASR/nasr/Current/Airport/1429)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, which also operates Van Nuys Airport[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) |
| Passengers | Approximately 76.59 million in 2024, up 2.04% from 2023; fifth busiest in the United States on preliminary airport-reported data[2](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf) |
| Runways | Four east/west parallel runways: 24R/6L at 8,926 feet, 24L/6R at 10,285 feet, 25R/7L at 12,091 feet, and 25L/7R at 11,095 feet; all 150 feet wide except 25L/7R at 200 feet[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) |
| Operations | 581,779 commercial aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2024, up 1.16% from 575,097 in 2023[2](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf) |
| Cargo | Approximately 2.40 million tons of freight and mail in 2024, a 1.99% increase from 2023[2](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf) |
| Noise abatement | West flow runway configuration about 95 percent of the time; Over-Ocean procedures route arrivals and departures over the Pacific from midnight to 6:30 a.m., in place since the early 1970s[4](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax/FONSI-ROD-LAX-CA-Proposed-Airfield-Terminal-Modernization-12-2021.pdf) |
| Signature project | A 2.25-mile, $3.3-billion Automated People Mover, begun in 2019 and originally slated for 2023, still not open as of late 2026[5](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/lax-people-mover-contractor-moves-back-expected-openin-to-2027) |
## History
The airport began as **Mines Field**, a name taken from real estate agent William W. Mines, who in July 1927 offered 640 acres of the former Bennett Rancho in the Westchester area for use as a municipal airport. The Los Angeles City Council chose the site on July 25, 1928, and the lease was executed in October 1928.[6](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/lax-early-history) The field was dedicated as the city's official airport on June 7, 1930, the city purchased the property as a municipal airfield in 1937, the name became Los Angeles Airport in 1941, and it became Los Angeles International Airport in 1949.[7](https://www.lapl.org/es/news-stories/articles/la-historia-de-los-angeles-el-aeropuerto-internacional-de-los-angeles-history)
The [Jet Age](https://www.edgepedia.org/jet-age) arrived with a set of satellite terminals dedicated on June 25, 1961, by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) The Tom Bradley International Terminal, named for the former Los Angeles mayor, was dedicated on June 11, 1984, and a rebuilt version of it opened in 2013.[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) The current FAA air traffic control tower, 277 feet tall, began operation in April 1996; the 1961 tower, 172 feet tall, now serves as LAWA's Clifton A. Moore Administration Building.[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts)
## Traffic and airlines
Passenger volume reached approximately 76.59 million in 2024, a 2.04% increase over the previous year, with commercial operations rising 1.16% to 581,779 landings and takeoffs.[2](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf) LAX accounted for about 70.44% of passenger traffic among the seven commercial airports in the Southern California Association of Governments region in 2024.[2](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf) In fiscal year 2025, traffic fell 1.7% to 75.2 million passengers, of which 68.3% were domestic and 31.7% international; [Delta Air Lines](https://www.edgepedia.org/delta-air-lines) carried the most passengers at 14.2 million, followed by [United Airlines](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-airlines) at 11.8 million, and [American Airlines](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-airlines) at 11.4 million.[8](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-12/LAX%20-%202025%20Annual%20Continuing%20Disclosure%20Report.pdf)
The airport is strongly oriented toward local traffic rather than connections: LAWA describes LAX as the busiest domestic origination-and-destination passenger market in the United States, with about 88 percent of travelers beginning or ending their trips there.[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) On-time performance of 80.44% in 2025 ranked LAX second among United States airports with the fewest flight delays, according to a Kiplinger analysis.[9](https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/travel/the-best-and-worst-u-s-airports-for-flight-delays)
## Airfield and noise abatement
LAX operates four parallel east/west runways on two complexes, the northern pair (24R/6L and 24L/6R) and the southern pair (25R/7L and 25L/7R).[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) The airport operates in a West flow configuration, with aircraft traveling to the west, about 95 percent of the time.[4](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax/FONSI-ROD-LAX-CA-Proposed-Airfield-Terminal-Modernization-12-2021.pdf)
**Over-Ocean operations.** During the late-night and early-morning hours from midnight to 6:30 a.m., both arriving and departing aircraft are routed over the [Pacific Ocean](https://www.edgepedia.org/pacific-ocean), a procedure in place since the early 1970s to reduce noise over residential communities east of the airport.[4](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax/FONSI-ROD-LAX-CA-Proposed-Airfield-Terminal-Modernization-12-2021.pdf) The FAA's airport master record notes that LAX is a noise-sensitive airport on westerly takeoffs, with no turns permitted before crossing the shoreline.[3](https://enasr.faa.gov/eNASR/nasr/Current/Airport/1429) The FAA's significant noise impact threshold is a 1.5-decibel increase within the 65 dB CNEL (Community Noise Equivalent Level) contour.[4](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax/FONSI-ROD-LAX-CA-Proposed-Airfield-Terminal-Modernization-12-2021.pdf)
## Modernization
LAX is in the midst of a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program. A broader modernization announced in the mid-2010s was valued at $14 billion, including an airport rail connection, a new rental car facility, and renovations to eight of the airport's nine terminals.[10](https://lacity.gov/news/mayor-garcetti-announces-grand-opening-new-lax-facility) The Los Angeles Times describes the current overhaul as a $30-billion program.[5](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/lax-people-mover-contractor-moves-back-expected-openin-to-2027) The modernization of Terminals 2 and 3 alone represents a $2.3 billion investment between LAWA and Delta Air Lines.[11](https://www.lawa.org/en/transforminglax/projects/)
**Automated People Mover.** The centerpiece landside project is a 2.25-mile elevated automated train that will connect the terminals with a new Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility, economy parking, and the LAX/Metro Transit Center.[11](https://www.lawa.org/en/transforminglax/projects/) Construction began in 2019 with an original 2023 opening date.[5](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/lax-people-mover-contractor-moves-back-expected-openin-to-2027) The $3.3-billion project is more than 99 percent complete, but repeated delays, a dispute between LAWA and the contractor consortium LINXS (a public-private partnership headed by Fluor that also includes [Balfour Beatty](https://www.edgepedia.org/balfour-beatty), ACS Infrastructure Development, Dragados USA, HNTB, and others), a LINXS lawsuit against the city, and a bond-rating downgrade from BBB- to BB+ in 2024 have pushed the opening back repeatedly; as of September 2026 contractors were aiming for passenger service in early January 2027 without committing to that date.[5](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/lax-people-mover-contractor-moves-back-expected-openin-to-2027) • [12](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-14/lax-people-mover-is-99-done-but-uncertainty-mounts-near-deadline?sfmc_id=6529c7d73ed79c24f8822a92&skey_id=8ba786fad8b6956955b5ec73bcf08e2af5fbd3fed38a4d40802da881a215f0de) The project missed its goal of operating before the 2026 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup).[12](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-14/lax-people-mover-is-99-done-but-uncertainty-mounts-near-deadline?sfmc_id=6529c7d73ed79c24f8822a92&skey_id=8ba786fad8b6956955b5ec73bcf08e2af5fbd3fed38a4d40802da881a215f0de)
**Rail connection.** The LAX/Metro Transit Center station, located at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street, opened on June 6, 2025, connecting Metro's C and K light rail lines, six Metro bus lines, and eight municipal bus lines.[13](https://www.metro.net/about/media-relations/now-boarding-metros-lax-metro-transit-center-station-officially-opens-connecting-communities-bringing-faster-easier-travel-for-angelenos-visitors/) Until the people mover opens, a free shuttle runs every 10 minutes between the station and the terminals.[13](https://www.metro.net/about/media-relations/now-boarding-metros-lax-metro-transit-center-station-officially-opens-connecting-communities-bringing-faster-easier-travel-for-angelenos-visitors/) When the Automated People Mover opens it will have six stops: three in the terminal loop, one at the transit center, one at economy parking, and one at the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility.[13](https://www.metro.net/about/media-relations/now-boarding-metros-lax-metro-transit-center-station-officially-opens-connecting-communities-bringing-faster-easier-travel-for-angelenos-visitors/)
**Environmental reviews.** Major projects have proceeded through federal environmental review: the FAA issued a Record of Decision for the Landside Access Modernization Program in January 2018, for the Runway 6R-24L Safety Area Project in June 2015, and for the Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project in December 2021.[14](https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax) The ATMP includes new concourses and terminals, including Concourse 0 and Terminal 9, with a projected net increase in water demand of about 85,000 gallons per day.[4](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax/FONSI-ROD-LAX-CA-Proposed-Airfield-Terminal-Modernization-12-2021.pdf)
## Economic role
According to a 2014 economic study, LAX activity supported 620,000 positions across [Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/southern-california), produced $37.3 billion in labor income and over $126.6 billion in economic output, and contributed $6.2 billion to state and local revenues.[1](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts) In fiscal year 2025 the airport's operating revenue totaled $2.0 billion against operating expenses of $1.8 billion, and its net position increased by $325.9 million.[8](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-12/LAX%20-%202025%20Annual%20Continuing%20Disclosure%20Report.pdf)
## References
1. [Just the Facts, Los Angeles World Airports](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/just-the-facts)
2. [2024 Aviation Activity Analysis, LAWA](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-06/2024%20Aviation%20Activity%20Analysis_Final.pdf)
3. [eNASR Airport Record for LAX, Federal Aviation Administration](https://enasr.faa.gov/eNASR/nasr/Current/Airport/1429)
4. [Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision, LAX Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project, FAA, December 2021](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax/FONSI-ROD-LAX-CA-Proposed-Airfield-Terminal-Modernization-12-2021.pdf)
5. [Troubled LAX people mover delayed again, Los Angeles Times, September 24, 2026](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-24/lax-people-mover-contractor-moves-back-expected-openin-to-2027)
6. [LAX Early History, Los Angeles World Airports](https://www.lawa.org/history/lax-history/lax-early-history)
7. [The History of Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles Public Library](https://www.lapl.org/es/news-stories/articles/la-historia-de-los-angeles-el-aeropuerto-internacional-de-los-angeles-history)
8. [LAX FY 2025 Annual Continuing Disclosure Report, LAWA](https://www.lawa.org/sites/lawa/files/2025-12/LAX%20-%202025%20Annual%20Continuing%20Disclosure%20Report.pdf)
9. [The Best and Worst US Airports for Flight Delays, Kiplinger](https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/travel/the-best-and-worst-u-s-airports-for-flight-delays)
10. [Mayor Garcetti announces Grand Opening of new LAX facility, City of Los Angeles](https://lacity.gov/news/mayor-garcetti-announces-grand-opening-new-lax-facility)
11. [Projects, Los Angeles World Airports](https://www.lawa.org/en/transforminglax/projects/)
12. [LAX people mover is 99% done, but uncertainty mounts near deadline, Los Angeles Times, August 14, 2026](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-14/lax-people-mover-is-99-done-but-uncertainty-mounts-near-deadline?sfmc_id=6529c7d73ed79c24f8822a92&skey_id=8ba786fad8b6956955b5ec73bcf08e2af5fbd3fed38a4d40802da881a215f0de)
13. [Metro's LAX/Metro Transit Center Station Officially Opens, LA Metro, June 6, 2025](https://www.metro.net/about/media-relations/now-boarding-metros-lax-metro-transit-center-station-officially-opens-connecting-communities-bringing-faster-easier-travel-for-angelenos-visitors/)
14. [Airport Environmental Documents – LAX, Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lax)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Aviation › Airports › Airports by region and status › North American airports*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license