This article has been revised and corrected from the original version.
For the first time since the pandemic hit, the cumulative number of passengers using the four airports serving Los Angeles County has come within 10% of pre-pandemic levels, according to September figures from the airport authorities.
Nearly 7.6 million passengers went through the gates in September at Los Angeles International, Ontario International, Hollywood-Burbank and Long Beach airports, about 8.7% less than the nearly 8.3 million passengers recorded for the same month in 2019.
Each of the four airports improved their position in September when compared to the same month four years ago, led by Ontario International. The Inland Empire airport saw 556,000 passengers go through its gates in September, more than 18% above pre-pandemic September 2019. In August, the airport posted a passenger tally roughly 12% above the pre-pandemic level.
What’s more, Ontario’s passenger count was nearly 8% above last year’s tally for September.
“Passenger volumes continued to be robust in September and over the first nine months of the year, making Ontario the envy of airport operators across the region,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive of the Ontario International Airport Authority.
Long Beach Airport also registered significant increases in passengers in September, both over last year and compared to pre-pandemic September 2019. The airport’s nearly 309,000 passengers in September put the facility nearly 7% above 2019 levels after it slipped 5% below that threshold in August. The passenger tally was also 10% above the level of the same month last year.
“Travel at Long Beach Airport in September made a significant recovery from the drop we experienced in August due to wildfires in Hawaii and Tropical Storm Hilary,” said airport Director Cynthia Guidry.
International travel surge
LAX, by far the biggest airport in the region, saw nearly 6.2 million passengers in September, up nearly 10% from the same month last year but still more than 11% shy of the pre-pandemic level.
A deeper look at the LAX figures showed a continuing divergence in the trends for international and domestic travel. International travel continued its robust recovery, up 29% year-over-year to 1.9 million and only 9% below 2019’s pre-pandemic level. If this magnitude of growth in international travel continues into next year, it will surpass 2019 levels.
But the recovery in domestic travel has nearly stalled out, with the 4.3 million passengers up a mere 3% year-over-year and short nearly 13% of pre-pandemic levels. In a switch from a couple years ago, it’s now domestic travel that’s acting as a drag on LAX’s recovery to pre-pandemic levels.
However, there was a dose of good news with some preliminary October figures. According to an announcement from Los Angeles World Airports, on two days in October – Monday, Oct. 9 and Tuesday, Oct. 10 – the number of passengers going through the gates at LAX exceeded the total for the same two calendar days in 2019.
That’s the first time the airport has exceeded pre-pandemic levels since the pandemic began.
“The remarkable milestone of surpassing pre-pandemic passenger volume is an achievement that Los Angeles World Airports celebrates with our employees, guests, and airport partners,” said Beatrice Hsu, interim chief executive at the agency. “Over the course of the last few years, we have been dedicated to building resiliency and laying the foundation for a full recovery.”
Hsu said the fall travel outlook was promising.
“The fall travel season is already taking off at the highest levels since 2019, and LAX looks forward to more record-setting days as we welcome passengers into the Thanksgiving and winter holidays,” she said.
Burbank slide
The picture hasn’t been so bright at Hollywood Burbank Airport. For the fourth straight month, the number of passengers passing through the gates at that San Fernando Valley airport was down from the same month the previous year and also below 2019 passenger levels. The September total of 510,000 passengers was down nearly 6% from last year and down just over 1% from the same month in 2019.
Given its proximity to entertainment giant Walt Disney Co. and other studios, Hollywood Burbank Airport has traditionally been heavily used by entertainment executives and others in that industry. It’s possible that the strikes that have hobbled the sector could also be taking their toll on air travel into and out of the airport.
Hollywood Burbank officials focused their comments on the travel outlook for next year, when new nonstop routes are expected to begin to destinations such as Kansas City, New Orleans and St. Louis.
“As we wrap up the fourth quarter of 2023 with Alaska Airlines starting service to San Francisco in December, we are gearing up for what looks to be a busy 2024” said Frank Miller, the airport’s executive director.
Cargo slump continues
Cargo tonnage at the four airports serving Los Angeles County continued to plunge in September, though the cumulative total edged back up above pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
The four airports combined handled roughly 266,000 metric tons in September, down more than 11% from last year but up nearly 5% from the same month in 2019.
Los Angeles International and Ontario International airports together handle roughly 98% of the cargo passing through the four airports.
At LAX, cargo tonnage dropped more than 6% in September to 203,000 compared to a year ago, though that tally was 9% higher than the same month in 2019.
At Ontario, the cargo trend has been entirely down, with September’s 58,000 tons down nearly 17% from the same month last year and down nearly 5% from Sept. 2019.
Ontario’s Elkadi attributed much of the decline to global cargo trends.
“While global economic forces continue to impact cargo volumes at U.S. airports, our shipping partners can count on our first-rate cargo facilities when cargo shipments return to historical levels,” Elkadi said.
