Los Angeles International Airport
About LAX
Overview
Los Angeles International Airport sits about 30 kilometers southwest of downtown Los Angeles, on the Pacific coast in Southern California. It serves as the primary international gateway for the Greater Los Angeles area and the wider western United States. The airport opened in 1928 as Mines Field and was redeveloped extensively in the 1950s and again ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Terminals & runways
The airport has nine passenger terminals arranged in a horseshoe configuration around a central roadway, including the Tom Bradley International Terminal used primarily for long-haul international flights. Four parallel runways are split into two pairs, oriented roughly east–west on either side of the terminal core. The airport operates 24 hours a day, and a multi-year modernization program is underway, including a new automated people mover.
Airlines
LAX is a hub for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and a focus city for Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. It is also a major base for transpacific operations and is served by most major European, Asian, Latin American and Oceanian flag carriers, making it one of the busiest international gateways in North America.