About Los Angeles International Airport
Table of Contents
Commonly known as LAX, Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California, and its surrounding metropolitan areas. LAX is located in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, California 30 kilometers southwest of Downtown Los Angeles, with commercial and residential areas of Westchester to the north, the city of El Segundo to the south, and the city of Inglewood to the east.
LAX is operated by Los Angeles World Airports, LAWA, an agency of the government of Los Angeles formerly known as the Department of Airports. LAX stands on 3,500 acres of land and has four parallel runways. This guide is part of our series of Airport guides. You can also check out our guides of JFK, Laguardia, Miami Airport, Charlotte Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Denver, and O’Hare Airport, among others.
Below is a snapshot of LAX’s official website:
In 2018, LAX served and handled a total of 87,534,384 passengers and made it the third busiest airport worldwide and the second busiest in the United States. LAX is a major international gateway to the United States and serves as the connection point for passengers traveling internationally. The airport was first opened in 1928 on 640 acres of land opened by the Los Angeles City Council where the first structure was erected in 1929 which was known as Hangar No. 1 which is now one national historic place of Los Angeles.
In 1930, the Mines Field opened the airport of Los Angeles and the city purchased it to be a municipal airfield in 1937. The name became Los Angeles Airport in 1941 and later to Los Angeles International Airport in 1949. In 1950, Mines Field rerouted Sepulveda Boulevard to loop around the west end of the extended east-west runways which by November 1950 were 6,000 feet long. In 1953, the tunnel was completed allowing Sepulveda Boulevard to revert to straight and pass beneath the two runways.
Los Angeles International Airport Codes
Los Angeles Airport has its codes as; IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX. the website of the airport is www.flylax.com.
The X in LAX
Before the 1930s, existing airports used a two-letter abbreviation based on the weather stations at the airports. At that time, “LA” served the designation of Los Angeles Airport and with the rapid growth in the aviation industry the designation expanded to three letters in 1947, and LA became LAX.
Los Angeles International Airport Ground Transportation
There are shuttles that operate to and from the terminals providing frequent services for navigating through the airport and connecting passengers. There are tunnels that connect between terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8and an above-ground connector between TBIT and terminal.
There is the availability of buses and the closest bus stop to the terminals are opposite on Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard served by Metro 117, Torrance 8, Metro 232, Commuter express 574, Metro 102 to USC and Metro Expo line.
There is a FlyAway Bus which is a nonstop motor coach and shuttle service run by the LAWA, which provides services between LAX and several destinations from the airport. The shuttle services stop at every terminal in LAX making it convenient to travelers.
There is the Metro Rail shuttle bus service that offers free connections to and from the LAX station on the Los Angeles Metro Rail Green Line.
There are LAX train services to be opened in the future, which is typically automated people mover, APM, an electric train system currently under construction by LAWA. This service will be 2.25 miles in traveling distance and will have six stations serving the central area, terminals 1 to 8, and the Tom Bradley International terminal.
Arriving passengers can also have access to taxis, rides, and private shuttles pick-ups which are operated by city-authorized taxi companies and are made available at the LAXit waiting area.
Los Angeles International Airport Parking
LAX offers different styles of parking to suit the needs of travelers. The two main types of parking at LAX are terminal and economy. Central Terminal Airport parking is the name given to the eight structures that are allocated to specific terminals. Nearly 8,000 parking spaces comprise the structure and spots tend to fill up rather quickly.
The other option of parking is economy parking. LAX offers parking at a satellite lot called economy Lot E, which is located about 15 minutes from the airport. Shuttle transportation which is free uses this parking option. Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes between lot E and the LAX Central terminal area.
One last option of parking at LAX is off-site airport parking which is the most convenient, hassle-free, and economical option for Los Angeles travelers. Typically, off-site lots are located just 5-15 minutes from LAX and require a short shuttle ride to the airport. The best part about offsite parking is reserving a spot ahead of time and guaranteeing a hassle-free experience.
Los Angeles International Airport Arrivals and Departures
| Flight # | Terminal | Gate | Destination |
| AS460 | 6 | 60 | New York |
| SQ1412 | 6 | 60 | New York |
| NK184 | 5 | 56 | Cleveland |
| AA1354 | 4 | 46C | Charlotte |
| HA9033 | 5 | 57 | Honolulu |
| CK222 | Shanghai | ||
| AA2424 | 4 | 42B | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| CX7624 | 4 | 42B | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| CZ1660 | 4 | 42B | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| MH9459 | 4 | 42B | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| UA2245 | 8 | 80 | Houston |
| NZ9637 | 8 | 80 | Houston |
| AA362 | 4 | 43 | Chicago |
| BA4356 | 4 | 43 | Chicago |
| Flight # | Terminal | Gate | Origin |
| B61823 | 5 | 51B | New York |
| FI7879 | 5 | 51B | New York |
| HA2305 | 5 | 51B | New York |
| AA795 | 4 | 43 | Miami |
| QF3318 | 4 | 43 | Miami |
| MH9429 | 4 | 43 | Miami |
| KZ108 | Tokyo | ||
| AS150 | 6 | 65B | Anchorage |
| KE6062 | 6 | 65B | Anchorage |
| QE3710 | 6 | 65B | Anchorage |
| SQ1240 | 6 | 65B | Anchorage |
| DL1212 | 2 | 24A | Honolulu |
| UA1281 | 8 | 80 | Kahului |
| AA82 | 4 | 41 | Auckland |
Los Angeles International Airport Map and Images
Los Angeles International Airport Services and Facilities
| Services | Details |
| LAX lounges | LAX has numerous Lounges available to travelers. Whilst some are only accessible to business or first-class travelers, there are some which can be accessed by paying a fee. Priority pass enables access to over seven exclusive lounges at LAX. |
| Banks | Bank of America operates ATMs in both departures and arrival levels in all terminals at LAX |
| Nursing rooms | Every terminal at LAX has a nursing room |
| Public arts | Through the airport, there are exposed seasonal or permanent expositions or art pieces. Regional and local artists show their cultural performances via the airport’s art program and all passengers are welcomed to enjoy them. |
| Baggage services | While there are no lockers or storage facilities at the airport, LAX Luggage Storage is a company that provides an off-site luggage storage service by collecting and delivering your items directly to your terminal at a pre-arranged time. |
| Medical and first aid | Paramedics are on hand in the event of medical emergencies. Contact any airline employees or LAX airport police for any assistance and there is an alternative automated Defibrillator program to assist cardiac arrest victims |
| Shops and restaurants | LAX has a variety of shops and restaurants across all terminals offering a variety of products and foods. |
| Business lounges | The Star Alliance Airport Lounge at the Tom Bradley international terminal provides a full business suit with services including wifi, internet stations, scanners, fax, and copy machines and it’s also possible to hire a private room |
| Cell phone rentals | This service is available from the lower level of the TBIT |
| Fax and photocopying | This is located at the TBIT at the ICE currency exchange booth |
| Wi-fi | This is available via T-Mobile and costs$6 for the first hour and is 10 cents a minute after that. 24 hours pass is available for $9.99 |
| Internet kiosks | High-speed internet stations are provided by Neptune networks in all terminals |
| Currency exchange | There are ICE currency exchange kiosks at gate level beyond security in terminal 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and Tom Bradley international terminal. Traveler’s checks can be exchanged at every terminal. |
| Tourist information | LAX convention and visitors Bureau are located at 663 west 5th street, suite 6,000, Los Angeles |
| Long layovers | LAX does not have a public shower or change facilities within its terminal, however, a passenger who would like to use their layover to freshen up still have two options; they could either pay to use the lounges at the airport which have showers or travel to one of the hotels nearby to the airport which always allows guests to use their gym and change room at a nominal fees |
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Name: Alex Mutuma
Profession: A professional travel consultant with a focus on airport activities to do during layovers
Email: Alex@airportllc.com
Phone: +1 945 348 889
Website: airportllc.com
Location: 322 Main Packway Street, Boston, US
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