The largest and busiest airport in the state of California, the Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX, was ranked sixth busiest in the world in 2008 by the Airports Council International, with a total of 59,497,539 passengers that year. LAX is a major hub of operations for Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Virgin America, and American Airlines among others.
The Los Angeles International takes up 3,500 acres of land, 15 miles southwest of Los Angeles’s downtown and right next to the Pacific coastline. Its proximity to the ocean causes it to get occasional heavy fogs. LAX is one of the most famous locations for aircraft spotting. Spotters can sit at the Imperial Hill location or at the final approach runways 34 L&R, next to the In-N-Out by the airport, and watch low-flying planes directly from under them.
Background
The Los Angeles International Airport was established in 1928, as a small airfield named Mine’s Field, after the broker who arranged the city purchase of 640 acres of land upon which the airfield was built. The field was located in southern Westchester, and the first building to be constructed on it was Hangar No.1, which is now recorded in the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1930, the airfield opened for business, and it became a municipal airfield in 1937. It was renamed the Los Angeles Airport in 1941, after a series of small expansions. In 1949 its name was changed to its current one, the Los Angeles International Airport, LAX. Over the course of the next few years, the airport expanded west. In 1953, an underground tunnel was completed that allowed Sepulveda Blvd to run below the LAX runways.
In 1958, the architectural firm Pereira & Luckman was hired to conduct a series of major renovations, which included the construction of a massive terminal system and large parking lot structures. The plan called for the construction of a large dome that would connect all the terminals. The dome idea was eventually replaced by the “Theme Building” (the glowing, flying-saucer-like structure), which was designed by Pereira & Luckman architect Paul Williams.
Ground Transportation
Parking at LAX can often be a hassle. People wishing to park at LAX often call ahead to make parking reservations, as the lots are usually packed despite there being over 8,000 available parking spaces in eight separate structures. One parking alternative is remote Parking Lot B and remote Parking Lot C, located a few blocks away from the main terminals. A free shuttle takes people from the lots to the terminals and back. People can also ride the Metro Rail’s Green Line train, which takes passengers to the Aviation Station, from where they can take a free shuttle also.
When going to the airport, parking is always important to travelers. Next time when you need to park LAX, see how Airport Parking Connection saves you both time and money.