| October 1,1928 | Los Angeles Municipal Airport, originally known as Mines Field, begins operation. |
|---|---|
| June 1929 | The first structure, Hangar No. 1, is built. |
| June 7,1930 | Official dedication |
| December 5,1946 | Commercial airline service begins. |
| June 25,1961 | Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicates the new Jet Age Satellite terminals. |
| October 1,1978 | 50th Anniversary of LAX |
| November 10,1983 | Second-level roadway and ticketing connector buildings are completed. |
| January 23,1984 | Terminal 1 is completed. |
| June 11,1984 | Tom Bradley International Terminal is dedicated. |
| July 1984 | LAX welcomes participants and spectators to the XXIII Olympic Games. |
| July 30,1992 | Hangar No. 1, refurbished in 1990, is accepted as a National Historic Landmark and listed in the Register of Historical Places. |
| December 18,1992 | Los Angeles City Council designates the Theme Building, built in 1961, as a City Cultural and Historical Monument. |
| December 5,1996 | 50th Anniversary of commercial airline service at LAX. |
| January 31,1997 | Encounter Restaurant in the Theme Building, with its space-age interior opens. |
| August 8,2000 | LAX Lighting Ceremony for pylons. New Gateway to Southern California |
| October 1,2003 | LAX celebrates its 75th anniversary. |
| October 1,2003 | LAWA partners with the nonprofit Flight Path Learning Center of Southern California to celebrate the centennial of aviation by opening the Flight Path Learning Center and Museum on the south perimeter of LAX. |
| April 2,2007 | Newly relocated Runway 25 Left/7 Right on the south side of the airport reopens to air traffic. Completion was a major milestone in an overall $333-million South Airfield Improvement Project. |
| June 24,2008 | New center taxiway opens on the airport’s south runway complex, providing enhanced airfield safety. |
| June 11,2009 | Runway Status Lights installed to increase overall safety of aircraft operations at LAX by reducing likelihood of a runway collision. The pilot program is a partnership between LAWA and the Federal Aviation Administration. |
| February 22,2010 | Construction begins on New Tom Bradley International Terminal Project. |
| May 24,2010 | Taxiway R, which connects LAX’s north and south airfields, opens |
| July 2, 2010 | Renovation of the arched Theme Building is completed and its observation deck reopens. |
| January 24,2011 | New $13.9 million Airport Response Coordination Center opens |
| June 2011 | Special activities mark the golden anniversary of the Jet-Age Airport, dedicated on June 25, 1961 by Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson with guests, including Lisa Halaby who later became Queen Noor of Jordan. |
| September 12, 2012 | The NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour arrives at LAX September 12 on its way to its final destination at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. |
| June 2013 | Thousands of visitors, well-wishers and participants celebrated during the historic preview of the New Tom Bradley International Terminal TBIT) on June 20. Elected officials, airport officials, business leaders, local celebrity chefs and media from around the world participate in a series of unique events designed to showcase LAX and create global excitement for the New TBIT before construction is completed. |
| June 20, 2013 | Thousands celebrate during historic preview of the New Tom Bradley International Terminal. |
| June 22, 2013 | Former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s bronze bust is rededicated during LAX Appreciation Day. |
General Statistics
LAX, the eighth-busiest airport in the world serving over 75 million guests in 2023, 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 who travel through LAX each year, the airport is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program to modernize its entire campus. Initiatives underway will ensure efficiency and dependability for every traveler and include an Automated People Mover and Consolidated Rental Car facility.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the fourth busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, based on number of passengers.
- In 2018, 78.5 million passengers used LAX.
- LAX is the busiest domestic O&D passenger market in the U.S. with more domestic travelers beginning or ending their trip at LAX than any other U.S. airport.
- Approximately 88 percent of travelers at LAX are origination and destination (O&D) passengers, and 12 percent are connecting.
- LAX handled 26,053,567 million international passengers in 2018; 30 percent of the airport’s total passenger volume.
- LAX ranks 10th in the world and fourth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.4 million tons of freight and mail processed in 2018 valued at more than $86.9 billion.
- Approximately 69 air carriers serve LAX, including all major airlines. In addition, there are approximately 23 cargo-only airlines.
- The airport has four east/west parallel runways: 24R/6L is 8,926 feet; 24L/6R is 10,285 feet; 25R/7L is 12,091 feet; and 25L/7R is 11,095 feet. All are 150 feet wide except 25L/7R, which is 200 feet wide.
- The Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Tower began operation in April 1996. It stands 277 feet above ground and utilizes state-of-the-art equipment. The old control tower, built in 1961, is 172 feet tall and served LAX for 35 years. It now serves as the Los Angeles World Airports Clifton A. Moore Administration Building.
- An economic study in 2014 reported that operations at LAX generated 620,000 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output of more than $126.6 billion. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues.
