Los Angeles International Airport

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Los Angeles International Airport
IATA: LAX - ICAO: KLAX
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Los Angeles World Airports
Serves		Los Angeles, California
Elevation AMSL		126 ft (38 m)
Coordinates		33°56′33″N, 118°24′29″W
Website		www.lawa.org/lax
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
7L/25R	12,091	3,685	Concrete
7R/25L[1]	11,096	3,382	Concrete
6R/24L	10,285	3,135	Concrete
6L/24R	8,925	2,720	Concrete
Helipads
Number	Size		Surface
	ft	m
H3	63	19	Concrete

Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX), is the primary airport serving Los Angeles, California, United States. It is generally referred to by Californians simply as LAX, with the letters pronounced individually. LAX is located in southwestern Los Angeles in the neighborhood of Westchester. It is located 27 km from the downtown core.

LAX handles more "origin and destination" (i.e. not connecting) passengers than any other airport in the world. It is the world's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic [1] and sixth-busiest by cargo traffic, serving some 60 million passengers and more than two million tons of freight in 2004. It is the busiest airport in the state of Califorina, and the third-busiest airport by passenger traffic in the United States. In terms of international passengers, LAX is the second-busiest in the U.S. (behind only JFK International Airport in New York City) [2] , and 20th worldwide. It is a major hub for United Airlines which currently operates out of Terminals 6, 7 and 8.

LAX serves 87 domestic and 69 international destinations in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Its most prominent airlines are United (19.57% of passenger traffic, combined with United Express traffic), American (15%) and Southwest (12.7%). [3] It is also a focus city for American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, and an international gateway for Delta Air Lines.

The airport occupies some 3,425 acres (14 km²) of the city on the Pacific coast, about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of downtown Los Angeles. LAX is one of the most famous locations for commercial aircraft spotting, most notably at the so called "Imperial Hill" area (also known as Clutter's Park) in El Segundo where nearly the entire South Complex of the airport can be viewed. Another famous spotting location sits right under the final approach for runways 24 L&R on a small grass lawn next to the Westchester In-N-Out Burger restaurant, and is noted as one of the few remaining locations in Southern California where spotters may watch such a wide variety of low-flying commercial airliners from directly underneath. The airport's coastal location exposes it to fog, during which flights are occasionally diverted to LA/Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County 47 miles (76 km) to the east.

Although LAX is the largest airport in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the region relies on a multiple airport system because of its vast size. Many of the area's most well-known attractions are closer to alternative airports than to LAX; for example, Hollywood and Griffith Park are closer to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank; while John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana is close to Disneyland, the Honda Center, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, and other Orange County attractions.

Contents 1 History 1.1 The "X" in LAX 2 Airlines/Terminals 2.1 Terminal 1 2.2 Terminal 2 2.3 Terminal 3 2.4 Terminal 4 2.5 Terminal 5 2.6 Terminal 6 2.7 Terminal 7 2.8 Terminal 8 2.9 Tom Bradley International Terminal 2.10 Charter 3 Ground transportation 3.1 Freeway 3.2 Bus 3.3 Metro Rail 3.4 FlyAway Bus 3.5 Taxis and Private Shuttles 4 Flight Path Learning Center 5 Plane crashes and terrorism 5.1 1950s 5.2 1960s 5.3 1970s 5.4 1980s 5.5 1990s 5.6 2000s 6 Popular culture 7 Trivia 8 See also 9 References 10 Notes 11 External links

[edit] History

In 1928, the Los Angeles City Council selected 640 acres (2.6 km²) in the southern part of Westchester as the site of a new airport for the city. The fields of wheat, barley and lima beans were converted into dirt landing strips without any terminal buildings. It was named Mines Field for William W. Mines, the real estate agent who arranged the deal. The first structure, Hangar No. 1, was erected in 1929 and is now a historic landmark.

Mines Field was dedicated and opened as the official airport of Los Angeles in 1930, and the city purchased it to be a municipal airfield in 1937. The name was officially changed to Los Angeles Airport in 1941, and to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in 1949. Prior to that time, the main airport for Los Angeles was the "Grand Central Airport" in Glendale.

Until this time, the entire airport was located east of Sepulveda Boulevard. As the airport expanded westward to meet the Pacific Ocean, a tunnel was completed in 1953 so that Sepulveda Boulevard would pass underneath the airport's runways. It was the first tunnel of its kind.

The distinctive white "Theme Building," constructed in 1961, resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. A restaurant that provides a sweeping view of the airport is suspended beneath two intersecting arches that form the legs. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a cultural and historical monument in 1992. A $4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the "Encounter Restaurant" opened there in 1997. At one time, tourists and passengers were able to take the elevator up to the roof of the "Theme Building", but after the September 11 attacks, the rooftop was closed off to everyone for security reasons. It was once said the rooftop would reopen for public use, but that was determined to be a rumor.

The first jet service appeared at LAX in 1959, transporting passengers between LAX and New York. The first wide-bodied jets appeared in 1970 when TWA flew Boeing 747s between LAX and New York.

Groundbreaking for the new Tom Bradley International Terminal was conducted in 1982 by Mayor Tom Bradley and World War II aviator General James Doolittle, and the $123 million terminal was opened in 1984. In 1996, a new 277 foot (84 m) tall air traffic control tower, with overhanging awnings that shade the windows and make the building vaguely resemble a palm tree, was constructed at a cost of $29 million.

In 2000, prior to Los Angeles hosting the Democratic National Convention. fourteen acrylic glass cylinders, each up to ten stories high, were placed in a circle around the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard, with additional cylinders of decreasing height following Century Boulevard eastward. The cylinders, lit from inside, slowly cycle through a rainbow of colors, and provide an additional landmark for visitors arriving by air at night. This was part of an overall facelift that included new signage and various other cosmetic enhancements.

At various points in its history, LAX has been a hub for TWA, Air California, Continental, Delta, PSA, USAir, Western Airlines, and the Flying Tiger Line.

Starting in the mid-1990s under Los Angeles Mayors Richard Riordan and James Hahn modernization and expansion plans for LAX were prepared only to be stymied by a coalition spearheaded by residents who live near the airport angry at noise, pollution and traffic impacts of the existing facility. In late 2005 newly elected L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was able to reach a compromise allowing some modernization to go forward while efforts are made to encourage future growth be spread among other facilities in the region.

On July 29, 2006 Runway 7R/25L was closed for reconstruction until March 25, 2007. The reconstruction is to move the runway 55 feet south to prevent runway incursions and prepare the runway for the next generation of Airbus A380. The newly moved runway will also have storm drains, and enhanced runway lighting, something that the other 3 runways do not have. The reconstruction of runway 25L will make way for a central taxiway in between runways 25L and 25R.

On September 18, 2006, Los Angeles World Airports stated a $503 million facelift of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Improvements include installing new paging, air conditioning and electrical systems, along with new elevators, escalators, baggage carousels and a digital sign that will automatically update flight information. Also a large explosives-detection machine will be incorporated into the terminal's underground baggage system, in which the federal government will fund part of the system.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in February 2007, many airlines flying outside of the United States have reduced flights to LAX and moved to other airports due to outdated terminals. Airlines flying out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal have reduced flights because the International Terminal is 22 years old and has not been upgraded.

In response to the report, the $500 million Tom Bradley International Terminal project began immediately.

On March 19, 2007, the Airbus A380 made its debut at LAX, landing on runway 24L. LA city officials fought for the super-jumbo jet to land at LAX, in addition to making its US debut in New York's JFK airport. [4]

[edit] The "X" in LAX

Before the 1930s, existing airports used a two-letter abbreviation based on the weather station at the airports. So, at that time, LA served as the designation for Los Angeles International Airport. But, with the rapid growth in the aviation industry, the designations expanded to three letters, and LA became LAX. The letter X does not otherwise have any specific meaning in this identifier. Moreover, the X perhaps indicates a blank letter or empty space in the code. Portland International Airport in Oregon also has a similar code PDX.[5] People today now believe that the "X" stands for exchange as "LAX" is also used for the International Port of Los Angeles, located in San Pedro, CA.

[edit] Airlines/Terminals

LAX has nine passenger terminals arranged in a "U," also called a "horseshoe," and are served by a shuttle bus. In addition to these terminals, there are 2 million square feet (186,000 sq. meters) of cargo facilities at LAX, and a heliport operated by Bravo Aviation.

[edit] Terminal 1

• Southwest Airlines (Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago-Midway, El Paso, Houston-Hobby, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Nashville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Jose (CA), Tucson)
• US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh)
  • US Airways operated by America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix)
  • US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Puerto Vallarta)

[edit] Terminal 2

• Air Canada (Calgary, Montreal, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver)
  • Air Canada Jazz (Edmonton)
• Air China (Beijing)
• Air France (Papeete, Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
• Air Mobility Command
• Air New Zealand (Apia, Auckland, London-Heathrow, Nadi, Papeete [ends April 1, 2007], Rarotonga [begins April 2, 2007])
• Aviacsa (León, Monterrey)
• Avianca (Bogotá)
• Hawaiian Airlines (Honolulu)
• KLM (Amsterdam)
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Tokyo-Narita)
• TACA (Departures) (Guatemala City, San Salvador)
  • Lacsa (San José (CR))
• Virgin Atlantic (London-Heathrow)

[edit] Terminal 3

• AirTran Airways (Atlanta, Indianapolis)
• Alaska Airlines (Anchorage, Calgary, Cancún, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Mexico City, Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver, Washington-Reagan)
  • Horizon Air (Arcata, Boise, Eugene [begins June 4, 2007], Medford, Redding, Redmond/Bend, Reno/Tahoe, Santa Rosa, Spokane [begins July 1, 2007], Sun Valley)
• ATA Airlines (Honolulu, Kahului)
• Frontier Airlines (Denver, Los Cabos, San Francisco)
  • Frontier Airlines operated by Republic Airlines (Denver, San Francisco) [begins April 15, 2007]
• Midwest Airlines (Kansas City, Milwaukee, Omaha [begins May 1, 2007])
• Spirit Airlines (Detroit, Fort Lauderdale)
• Sun Country Airlines (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• WestJet (Calgary)

[edit] Terminal 4

• American Airlines (Austin, Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Las Vegas, Lihue, London-Heathrow, Los Cabos, Miami, Nashville, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, San Antonio, San Francisco, San José (CR), San Juan, San Salvador, St. Louis, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Washington-Dulles)
  • American Eagle (Fayetteville (AR), Fresno, Las Vegas, Monterey, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara)
• Qantas (Sydney)

[edit] Terminal 5

• Aerolitoral (Culiacán, Hermosillo, La Paz, Monterrey)
• Aeroméxico (Arrivals, some Departures)
• Air Jamaica (Montego Bay)
• Delta Air Lines (Acapulco, Anchorage [begins June 7, 2007; seasonal], Atlanta, Belize City [begins June 9, 2007; seasonal], Boston, Cancún, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus, Fort Lauderdale, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Hartford, Honolulu, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Jacksonville, Kahului, Liberia, Managua [ends April 21, 2007], New Orleans, New York-JFK, Orlando, Puerto Vallarta, Raleigh/Durham, Salt Lake City, Tampa)
  • Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Culiacán, Hermosillo, La Paz, Las Vegas, Loreto, Los Mochis [begins June 2, 2007], Manzanillo, Mazatlán, Oakland, Palm Springs, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma [begins June 7, 2007], Torreón, Zacatecas [begins June 8, 2007]). All of the above flights will be taken over by ExpressJet Airlines in June, 2007.
  • Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines (Portland (OR) [begins June 7, 2007], Salt Lake City)

[edit] Terminal 6

• Aeroméxico (Ticket counters and Some Departures) (Aguascalientes, Cancún, Culiacán, Guadalajara, León, Mexico City, Puebla)
• Continental Airlines (Cleveland, Honolulu, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
  • Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Aguascalientes, Durango (MX), León, Morelia)
• Copa Airlines (Panama City)
• Delta Air Lines (departure/arrival gates only; see Terminal 5)
  • Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (see Terminal 5)
  • Delta Connection operated by SkyWest (see Terminal 5)
• United Airlines (International Arrivals; departures under Terminal 7)

[edit] Terminal 7

• United Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Cancún, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Guatemala City, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Lihue, London-Heathrow, Melbourne, Mexico City, New Orleans, New York-JFK, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Sacramento, San Francisco, San Salvador, Seattle/Tacoma, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles)
  • Ted operated by United Airlines (Cancún, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Las Vegas, New Orleans [seasonal; begins May 1])

[edit] Terminal 8

• United Airlines
  • United Express operated by SkyWest (Albuquerque, Aspen, Bakersfield, Boise, Carlsbad, Colorado Springs, Fresno, Imperial, Inyokern, Modesto, Monterey, Montrose [seasonal], Oakland, Oklahoma City, Ontario, Orange County, Oxnard, Palm Springs, Phoenix, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Jose (CA), San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, St. George, Tucson, Vancouver, Yuma)

[edit] Tom Bradley International Terminal

This terminal opened for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and is named in honor of Tom Bradley, the first African-American and longest serving (20 years) mayor of Los Angeles, and champion of LAX. The terminal is located at the west end of the passenger terminal area between Terminals 3 and 4. There are 34 airlines that serve the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the terminal handles 10 million passengers per year. The terminal boasts only twelve non-remote gates; despite the $723 million renovation project, the project will not add any new gates.^[2]

• Aer Lingus (Dublin)
• Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)
• Air India (Delhi, Frankfurt)
• Air Pacific (Nadi)
• Air Tahiti Nui (Papeete, Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
• Alaska Airlines (Mexico arrivals)
• All Nippon Airways (Tokyo-Narita)
• Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon)
• British Airways (London-Heathrow)
• Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
• China Airlines (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
• China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou)
• Copa Airlines (Arrivals)
• El Al (Tel Aviv)
• EVA Air (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• Japan Airlines (Tokyo-Narita)
• Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon, Tokyo-Narita)
• LAN Airlines (Lima, Santiago de Chile)
  • LAN Peru (Lima)
• LTU International (Düsseldorf)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
• Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• Mexicana (Cancún, Culiacán, Guadalajara, León, Los Cabos, Mazatlán, Mexico City, Monterrey, Morelia, Zacatecas)
  • Click Mexicana (Torreón)
• Philippine Airlines (Manila)
• Qantas (Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney)
• Singapore Airlines (Singapore, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita)
• Swiss International Air Lines (Zürich)
• TACA (San Salvador)
• Thai Airways International (Bangkok)

[edit] Charter

• Interstate Jet
• Miami Air
• Omni Air International
• World Airways
• PrivatAir

[edit] Ground transportation

[edit] Freeway

LAX can be reached using the Century Boulevard exit (and several more northern exits) on Interstate 405, or the Sepulveda Boulevard exit on Interstate 105.

[edit] Bus

Out of a number of bus systems, many routes (local, rapid and express) of the LACMTA, Line 6 of the Culver CityBus system, Line 8 of Torrance Transit, and the regular as well as the rapid buses of the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus system's Line 3 all make stops at, among other nearby stop locations, the LAX Transit Center in Parking Lot C. on 96th St., where shuttle bus "C" offers free connections to and from every LAX terminal.

[edit] Metro Rail

Shuttle bus "G" offers a free connection to the Aviation/I-105 station on the Metro Green Line. The line was originally intended to connect directly to the airport, but budgetary restraints and opposition from local long-term parking lot owners impeded its progress. A Metro Rail extension to LAX is a part of both LAX and LACMTA's master plans.

[edit] FlyAway Bus

Main article: FlyAway Bus

LAWA runs a shuttle service called the FlyAway Bus. The FlyAway travels between one of two terminals, and stops at every LAX terminal. The service is operated 24 hours a day with each line operating at least one trip per hour, with more trips during the day. The one way ticket price is $3 cash for adults, $2 for children aged 2-12 and free for children under age 2. Both terminals offer optional remote passenger and baggage check-in services for $5 per person. Both lines use Los Angeles system of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to expedite their trips.

Routes:

• Van Nuys/LAX- Travels between LAX and the FlyAway terminal located at the Van Nuys Airport located in Van Nuys. The terminal offers parking in a large parking structure for $4 a day, with a 30 day limit. The route is intended to reduce traffic on Interstate 405 and to provide convenient park-and-ride services to citizens of the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, and Antelope valleys.

• Union Station/LAX- Travels between LAX and the Patsaouras Transit Plaza at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. At Union Station connections can be made to Metro Rail, Metrolink, Amtrak, and Amtrak California rail services, the Metro Transitway system, and bus services operated by Amtrak California, Metro, and other regional operators. The trip takes between 25 and 45 minutes depending on traffic. Although the route is mostly intended for travelers who wish to make a connection to rail or bus services, Union Station also offers parking for $6 a day, with a 30 day limit. [6]

[edit] Taxis and Private Shuttles

Taxicab services are operated by nine city-authorized taxi companies and regulated by Authorized Taxicab Supervision Inc. (ATS). ATS maintains a taxicab holding lot under the 96th Street Bridge where, at peak periods, hundreds of cabs queue up to wait their turn to pull into the central terminal area to pick up riders. A number of private shuttle companies, among them Prime Time Shuttle ([7]) and SuperShuttle ([8]), provide door-to-door airport transportation as well. X-Press Shuttle operated door-to-door airport transportation until 2001, when they lost their contract to maintain a shared ride vans station at LAX.

[edit] Flight Path Learning Center

The Flight Path Learning Center is located at 6661 Imperial Highway and was formerly known as the "West Imperial Terminal." This building used to house some charter flights (Condor Airlines) and regular scheduled flights by MGM Grand Air. It sat empty for 10 years until it was re-opened as a learning center for LAX.

The center contains information on the history of aviation, several pictures of the airport, as well as aircraft scale models, flight attendant uniforms, and general airline memorabilia such as playing cards, china, magazines, signs, even a TWA gate information sign.

[edit] Plane crashes and terrorism

[edit] 1950s

• On the morning of June 30, 1956, a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation and a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 departed LAX within three minutes of each other on eastbound transcontinental flights. The two propeller-driven airliners subsequently collided over the Grand Canyon in Arizona while both were flying in unmonitored airspace, killing all 128 passengers and crew aboard both planes.

• On October 3, 1958, two Douglas DC-7 nearly collided head on, crashing their wings together in mid-air. One of the planes crashed, resulting in 53 deaths, including one (a New Zealand actor by the name of Jaxin Hall) by decapitation via the toilet room door as it was being sucked out by the extreme change in cabin pressure.

[edit] 1960s

• On January 13, 1969, a Scandinavian Airlines System Douglas DC-8-62 crashed into Santa Monica Bay, approximately 6 nautical miles west of LAX at 7:21 PM, local time. The aircraft was operating as flight SK-933, nearing the completion of a flight from Seattle. Of nine crewmembers, three lost their lives to drowning, while 12 of the 36 passengers also drowned.

• On January 18, 1969, a United Airlines Boeing 727-22C bearing the registration number N7434U, crashed into Santa Monica Bay approximately 11.3 miles west of LAX at 6:21 p.m. local time. The aircraft was destroyed, resulting in the loss of all 32 passengers and six crewmembers aboard.

[edit] 1970s

• On the evening of June 6, 1971, Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a Douglas DC-9 jetliner which had departed LAX on a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, was struck nine minutes after takeoff by a U.S. Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom fighter jet over the San Gabriel Mountains. The midair collision killed all 44 passengers and five crew members aboard the DC-9 airliner and one of two crewmen aboard the military jet.

• On August 6, 1974, a bomb exploded near the Pan Am ticketing area at Terminal 2; two people were killed and 17 were injured.

• On March 1, 1978, two tires burst in succession on a Continental Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 during its takeoff roll at LAX and the plane, bound for Honolulu, veered off the runway. A third tire burst and the DC-10's left landing gear collapsed, causing a fuel tank to rupture. Following the aborted takeoff, spilled fuel ignited and enveloped the center portion of the aircraft in flames. During the ensuing emergency evacuation, a husband and wife died when they exited the passenger cabin onto the wing and dropped down directly into the flames. Two additional passengers died of their injuries approximately three months after the accident; 74 others aboard the plane were injured, as were 11 firemen battling the fire.

• On the morning of September 25, 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, which was on a Sacramento-Los Angeles International Airport-Lindbergh Field, San Diego route, collided in midair with a Cessna 172 while descending for a landing at Lindbergh Field; both planes crashed in San Diego's North Park district, killing all 135 on board the PSA jetliner, both occupants of the Cessna aircraft, and 7 persons on the ground.

• On the evening of March 10, 1979, Swift Aire Flight 235, a twin-engine Aerospatiale Nord 262A-33 turboprop enroute to Santa Maria, was forced to ditch in Santa Monica Bay after experiencing engine problems upon takeoff from LAX. The pilot, co-pilot and a female passenger drowned when they were unable to exit the aircraft after the ditching. The female flight attendant and the three remaining passengers -- two men and a pregnant woman -- survived and were rescued by several pleasure boats and watercraft in the vicinity.

• On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell-Douglas DC-10, dropped an engine during takeoff and crashed while en route to Los Angeles from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, killing all 271 passengers and crew on board and two people on the ground.

[edit] 1980s

• On the afternoon of August 2, 1985, Delta Air Lines Flight 191, on a Fort Lauderdale-Dallas-Los Angeles route, crashed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, killing 136 of the 167 passengers on board.

• On August 31, 1986, Aeromexico Flight 498, a DC-9 en route from Mexico City, Mexico to Los Angeles, began its descent into LAX when a Piper Cherokee collided with the DC-9's left horizontal stabilizer over Cerritos, California, causing the DC-9 to crash into a residential neighborhood. All 64 passengers and crew aboard the Aeromexico flight were killed, in addition to 15 on the ground. 5 homes were destroyed and an additional 7 were damaged by the crash and resulting fire. The 3 occupants of the Piper were killed immediately when the two planes collided; their aircraft went down in a nearby schoolyard and caused no further injuries on the ground. As a result of this incident, FAA required all commercial aircraft to be equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

• On December 7, 1987, Pacific Southwest Airlines PSA Flight 1771, bound from LAX to San Francisco International Airport, was cruising above the central California coast when a disgruntled USAir employee aboard the plane shot his ex-supervisor, both pilots and then himself, causing the airplane to crash near the town of Cayucos. All 43 aboard perished. Following this event, airline staff and crew were no longer allowed to bypass security checks at U.S. airports.

[edit] 1990s

• On February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737 landing on Runway 24L at LAX, collided upon touchdown with a SkyWest Fairchild Metroliner, Flight 5569, that had been holding in position on the same runway. The collision killed all 12 occupants of the SkyWest plane and 22 persons aboard the USAir 737.

• If Project Bojinka had not been discovered after a fire in Manila, Philippines, one or more aircraft owned by a U.S. carrier/s at this airport would have blown up over the Pacific Ocean on January 21, 1995 as part of the project's first phase.

• On October 2, 1996, AeroPeru Flight 603, a Boeing 757 en route to LAX from Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, via Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, crashed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. All 70 passengers and crew on board died.

• On October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990, which was on a Los Angeles-JFK, New York, New York-Cairo route, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantucket after takeoff from New York, killing all 217 persons on board.

[edit] 2000s

• In the year 2000, Al-Qaeda attempted to bomb LAX during the millennium holiday, although the bomber was caught at the U.S. port of entry. Ahmed Ressam was captured in Port Angeles, Washington, with a cache of explosives in the trunk of his rented car which had traveled with him from Victoria, British Columbia, aboard the ferry "Coho". The plot was part of the 2000 millennium attack plots. Ressam was sentenced to 22 years in prison on July 27, 2005.

• On the afternoon of January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 jetliner flying from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco and Seattle, requested to make an emergency landing at LAX after experiencing control problems with its tail-mounted horizontal stabilizer. Before the plane could divert to Los Angeles, it suddenly plummeted into the Pacific Ocean approximately 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island off the California coast, killing all 88 persons aboard the aircraft.

• On July 4, 2002, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet killed 2 Israelis at the ticket counter of El Al Airlines at LAX. Although the gunman was not linked to any terrorist group, the man was upset at U.S. support for Israel, and therefore was motivated by political disagreement. This led the FBI to classify this shooting as a terrorist act, one of the few on U.S. soil since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The attack was similar to the Rome and Vienna Airport Attacks.

• On September 22, 2005, a JetBlue A320 (JetBlue Flight 292) discovered a problem with its landing gear as it took off from Bob Hope Airport. It flew in circles for three hours to burn off fuel, then landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport, balancing on its back wheels as it rolled down the center of the runway. Passengers were able to watch their own coverage live from the satellite broadcast on JetBlue in-flight TV seat displays of their plane as it made an emergency landing with the front landing gear visibly becoming damaged. LAX does not serve JetBlue, so the aircraft was evaluated and repaired at a Continental Airlines hangar. [9]

• On July 29, 2006, after America West Express Flight 6008, a Canadair Regional Jet operated by Mesa Airlines from Phoenix, Arizona, landed on the airport's southernmost runway, controllers instructed the pilot to leave the runway on a taxiway known as "Mike" and stop short of the inner runway. Even though the pilot read back the instructions correctly, he accidentally taxied onto the inner runway and into the path of a departing SkyWest Airlines Embraer EMB-120 operating United Express Flight 6037 to Monterey, California. They cleared each other by 50 feet and nobody was hurt.

[edit] Popular culture

• In the film Speed, a bus that is armed with a bomb cannot drop its speed to below 50 miles per hour or else it will explode. After running through the congested Los Angeles traffic and getting on the freeway, Jack Traven finally directs to the bus to enter LAX so it can safely move around without being a danger.
• In the ending of Turbulence Lauren Holly attemps to land a Boeing 747-100 on 25L but has problems. She then travels over the Pacific, turns back, and lands safely.
• In the ABC TV show Lost, Oceanic Flight 815 was traveling from Sydney to LAX.
• In the movie Snakes on a Plane, the passengers are on a plane from Honolulu to LAX.
• The final scene in the movie Heat takes place in the commercial part of LAX.
• The architecture in The Jetsons was based on the Theme Building (see picture above).
• The 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever has James Bond arrive at LAX with Tiffany Case with a coffin of the body of diamond smuggler Peter Franks (whom Bond has switched identities with) which the coffin conceals a hidden cache of diamonds that would be transferred to Las Vegas by Tiffany, Bond, and the diamond smuggling syndicate Bond has infiltrated.
• The 1979 James Bond film Moonraker also has James Bond arrive at LAX to meet helicopter pilot Corine Dufour who would show Bond an aerial tour of the Drax Space Center outside Los Angeles.
• The fictional "Francis International Airport" in Grand Theft Auto's Liberty City is also based on the Theme Building.
• Los Santos International in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a smaller version of LAX.
• LAX appeared in the car racing video game L.A. Rush
• In the video game Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, the final level takes place in LAX.
• LAX (TV series)
• Los Angeles International Airport was one of the featured airports on the show Airline (TV) which was based on Southwest Airlines.

[edit] Trivia

• On December 18, 1992 the Los Angeles City Council designated the Theme Building Historic-Cultural Monument no.570.

[edit] See also

• Busiest airports in the United States by international passenger traffic

[edit] References

• FAA Airport Master Record for LAX (Form 5010 PDF)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) (official site)

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Runway 7R/25L closed unit March 2007 for renovation as per KLAX NOTAMS
2. ^ http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-airport02mar02,0,5817857.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail

[edit] External links

• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF)
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KLAX
  • ASN Accident history for KLAX
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KLAX
  • FAA current LAX delay information
• interview on renovation of the Theme Building
• Aerial Photograph History of LAX from 1938 to 1992 for Google Earth
• Aerial Photograph History of LAX from 1938 to 1992 for Google Maps