In the latest sign the Southern California is bouncing back from the blows of the coronavirus pandemic, Los Angeles International Airport saw more international travelers in April than during any month since February 2020, officials announced on Wednesday, June 1.
The news arrives as the the world’s third-busiest airport gets a $15 billion facelift as the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics loom on the horizon.
More than 1.2 million international travelers traveled through the airport in April, a 195% increase from the 424,221 international travelers in April 2021, according to LAX. Domestic travel also increased by 58%, and the airport welcomed a total of 5.441 million passengers in April, an increase of nearly 77% compared to the same month in 2021.
“The spring travel season showed a robust return to air travel at LAX, and we are especially excited to see our international traffic increase as we near the summer,” Los Angeles World Airports CEO Justin Erbacci said.
“Although there are some headwinds to continued increases, including resource shortages and higher fuel prices, there also are plenty of signs that people are ready to travel, and we are excited to welcome travelers back to our airport with new concessions and innovative technologies to create a seamless and efficient guest experience,” Erbacci added.
While passenger travel increased, the airport experienced a 6.83% decrease in air cargo over April of 2021, with a total of 234,007 tons of cargo handled in April 2022.
Last month, LAX — managed by Los Angeles World Airports, which is owned by the city of LA — set an all-time record in March for trade by value moved in a single month, with global imports and exports worth a total of $13.65 billion moving through the airport.
Total imports at the airport accounted for more than $8 billion in March, while exports were $5.57 billion, according to the airport, which added that international trade increased 22.23% in March compared to the same month in 2021.
“As the No. 3 airport in the U.S. for trade by value, LAX continues to play an important role in the global supply chain and serves as the nation’s premier West Coast hub for air cargo operations,” said Los Angeles World Airports CEO Justin Erbacci.
“As we modernize our cargo operations in the coming years, the future of air freight at LAX includes maximizing supply chain efficiency, leveraging new technologies and ensuring that our new facilities are sustainable and a model for the rest of the country.”
LAX is also No. 8 in the U.S. for trade by value of all of the country’s airports, seaports and border crossings.
All the news comes amid a flurry of activity at the airport, as it strides toward completion of a $15 billion modernization program.
The wider LAX overhaul encompasses all nine of the airport’s terminals and also includes a new passenger train system and a consolidated car-rental facility.
In April, the airport announced a major milestone in construction of its Automated People Mover, with the last concrete poured for the project’s 2.25-mile elevated guideway structure.
The train is the centerpiece of the airport’s modernization program and will have six total stations — three inside the Central Terminal Area and three outside the CTA. The People Mover will connect the train system to Metro rail and bus lines and a new $294 million, 1.7-million-square-foot economy parking facility that opened last fall with 4,300 new parking spots.
In June, demolition will continue on the eastern half of the Terminal 4 headhouse. Meanwhile, construction of a new connector between Terminal 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the remainder of the Terminal 3 concourse is taking place in the northwestern portion of the Central Terminal Area (CTA) as part of a $2.3 billion modernization project. The first three gates in Terminal 3 opened to the public on May 25.
Officials expect the train system to be ready in 2023, and the full modernization project is expected to be completed ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
City News Service contributed to this report
