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136-429: Los Angeles International Airport has 161 gates in nine passenger terminals arranged in the shape of the letter U or a horseshoe. On the landside of the airport, LAX Shuttle route A buses allow passengers to move between all terminals. On the airside , various pedestrian corridors allow passengers to move between all terminals on foot without having to exit and reenter airport security . Additionally, by December 2025,

272-449: A catamaran . In 1973, PSA created a holding company, "PSA, Inc." for the airline and many non-airline subsidiaries. In late summer 1970, PSA ordered five Lockheed L-1011 widebody aircraft, deliveries starting 1972. In the next 12 months, the L-1011 engine maker, Rolls-Royce, went bankrupt , and Lockheed required a US government bailout to avoid the same. In December 1971, PSA cancelled

408-639: A hub , focus city , or operating base for more passenger airlines than any other airport in the United States. Although LAX is the busiest airport in the Greater Los Angeles area, several other airports serve the region including Burbank , John Wayne (Orange County), Long Beach , Ontario , and San Bernardino . In 1926, the Los Angeles City Council and the Chamber of Commerce recognized

544-479: A satellite terminal that is located just east of Terminal 8. This terminal is accessed from a bus gate in Terminal 5, and has nine gates that supplement American's mainline operation at Terminals 4 and 5. In July 2020, JetBlue announced that they would close their Long Beach operating base due to their routes underperforming there and because the officials at Long Beach refused to build a customs facility at LGB. As

680-437: A 15% stake in the airline. Note, "airline profits", not the holding company, PSA, Inc., which included aircraft leasing and fuel distribution among other businesses. After some back-and-forth, employees went along with this in late 1984. Employees got to nominate four directors to the airline board. Famed retailer Sol Price of Price Club (a Costco constituent) and FedMart was one such employee director. Another requirement

816-648: A United Club and a United Polaris Lounge. The terminal has a customs area on the arrivals floor, used by international United flights and Alaska Airlines flights in adjacent Terminal 6. United Airlines has two lounges in the terminal: one United Club and one United Polaris Lounge. Former tenants of the terminal include: Aspen Airways , Braniff , Imperial Airlines , Independence Air , Leisure Air , Los Angeles Airways , Texas International Airlines , Shuttle by United , Ted , and Virgin Atlantic . Terminal 8 has eight gates: Gates 80–85, 86A, and 86B. As of June 2022,

952-420: A bankruptcy that dramatically lowered its costs. Meanwhile, PSA was making money, but not by flying passengers. In 1982 and 1981 it sold aircraft and tax credits on aircraft to make a net profit while still producing an operating loss. In the years prior to deregulation, PSA said it must be ready for the day it was able to fly outside of California. When the day came, PSA management saw themselves as one of

1088-477: A bus gate. Gates 52A–52I are located at the Regional Terminal . As of March 2024, the terminal serves as a hub for American Airlines along with Terminal 4 and Eagle’s Nest. The terminal is also used by Spirit Airlines . Terminal 5 opened in 1962, and Western Airlines occupied this terminal until Western was merged with Delta on April 1, 1987. Terminal 5 was redesigned by Gensler , expanded to include

1224-787: A bus stop served by shuttles to smaller rental car companies. Route X – LAX Employee Lots connects the Central Terminal Area and the Employee Parking Lots. The route has three service patterns: the East Lot route only stops at Terminals 1, 2, 3, and B; the West Lot route only stops at Terminals 4, 5, 6, and 7; and the South Lot route stops at all terminals and also stops at the City Bus Center as Route C. Most transit buses operate from

1360-463: A cheap and low-risk deal to expand into a new geography: under an eight year contract, Braniff would fly 25 to 30 727s from its Texas base with PSA colors and marketing, employing 1,500 Braniff employees (who would have to agree to lower wages and higher productivity) as well as gates and takeoff/landing slots. These slots were key Braniff assets. In the wake of the August 1981 air traffic controllers strike ,

1496-607: A connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail and other transit at the LAX/Metro Transit Center , and a consolidated facility for all airport rental car agencies. The APM project is estimated to cost $ 5.5 billion and is scheduled to begin operation in 2025, with the connection to Metro Rail opening thereafter. LAWA does not operate shuttles to get to the Metro K Line ; however, one seeking to get to/from LAX and

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1632-733: A connector building between the original satellite and the ticketing facilities and remodeled from 1986 through early 1988. It was unofficially named 'Delta's Oasis at LAX' with the slogan 'Take Five at LAX' when construction was completed in the summer of 1988. Northwest Airlines moved all operations to Terminal 5 and Terminal 6 alongside Delta on June 30, 2009, as part of its merger with the airline. Delta, which had been based for decades in Terminal 5 (with additional gates in Terminal 6), moved to Terminals 2 and 3 between May 12–17, 2017, in order to relieve overcrowding and provide better and easier transfers with its airline partners at Tom Bradley International Terminal. American Eagle flights operate from

1768-509: A deal with Los Angeles World Airports to renovate Terminal 6 and build an Alaska Lounge for first-class passengers. The airline moved its flights to Terminal 6 on March 20, 2012, and Spirit Airlines was relocated to Terminal 3. In July 2021, construction began on another round of refurbishments to the terminal. On the customer-facing front, the gate areas, departure lounges, Border Protection, and TSA Security areas are being refurbished/upgraded, and new jet bridges will be installed. Additionally,

1904-472: A direct connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. LAX Shuttle route G offers free connections between the Central Terminal Area and the Aviation/LAX station on the C Line , 2.4 miles (3.9 km) away. The LAX Automated People Mover (APM), currently under construction by LAWA, is a 2.25 miles (3.62 km) rail line that will connect the terminal area with long- and short-term parking facilities,

2040-495: A drive-through bus gate will be added to ease transfers to other terminals. On the operations front, the apron paving, fuel lines and other airfield infrastructure will be upgraded. As construction progresses, different areas of the terminal will be closed to passengers, starting with the three gates at the southeast end. Construction is scheduled to conclude in 2023. There are two lounges in the terminal: an Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge and an Alaska Airlines Lounge. Former tenants of

2176-594: A gate cap at the airport and building a new park on the airport's north side. The distinctive Theme Building in the Googie style was built in 1961 and resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs. A restaurant with a sweeping view of the airport is suspended beneath two arches that form the legs. The Los Angeles City Council designated the building a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1992. A $ 4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering ,

2312-556: A home for them. PSA's troubles attracted national attention. PSA went to the CPUC asking for a fare increase to bail them out. The CPUC excoriated PSA, questioning management competency at length and especially withering about a 1974 $ 8mm share buyback. In March 1976, J. Floyd Andrews gave up the CEO position, and in May, resigned as chair of the board. As airline deregulation was being debated, for most of

2448-490: A hub for Delta Air Lines . The terminal also has check-in facilities for Delta's SkyTeam partner, Aeroméxico ; after clearing security in Terminal 3, Aeroméxico passengers board a shuttle to the Tom Bradley International Terminal where the flights operate. Terminal 3 opened in 1961 and was Trans World Airlines ' (TWA's) terminal. Eastern Air Lines initially also shared space as a tenant. The terminal

2584-455: A hub for Delta Air Lines . The terminal is also used by WestJet and has check-in facilities for Virgin Atlantic . Terminal 2 was built in 1962 and was the original international terminal. It was completely torn down and rebuilt in stages between 1984 and 1988 at a cost of $ 94 million. The rebuilt terminal was designed by Leo A Daly . Terminal 2 has CBP (Customs and Border Protection) facilities to process arriving international passengers, but

2720-422: A hub for United Airlines . The terminal opened in 1962 and was expanded to accommodate widebody aircraft in 1970. The terminal was expanded in 1982 with the addition of a connector building, which today consists of gates 70A-70B and 71A-71B. Four of these gates have two jetways, which accommodate large aircraft. The interior of the terminal was renovated between January 1998 and June 1999 at a cost of $ 250 million,

2856-425: A joke. In the 1960s PSA was known for the brightly colored flight attendant uniforms, with miniskirts ; in the early 1970s the fashion changed to hotpants . A PSA flight attendant, Marilyn Tritt, wrote a book about her tenure at the company titled Long Legs and Short Nights . Throughout PSA's lifetime, the flight attendants, with their humor, over-the-top passenger service, and sense of duty, helped to create

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2992-536: A loyal passenger following. One flight attendant, Sandy Daniels, with the help of a frequent flyer, started the "Precious Stewardess Association". Frequent fliers would bring tasty treats to the crew, particularly on morning flights. In turn, PSA started the "Precious Passenger Association", with certificates and free drinks given to friendly and helpful passengers. PSA headquarters were a windowless gray-brown building on Harbor Drive in San Diego, California . The building

3128-452: A majority owner of Western, difficult to dislodge controlling nine out of 21 seats on the board. As outlined in a section below, PSA would instead pursue a non-airline acquisition strategy. Southwest Airlines was founded in 1967, but grueling legal challenges caused its operational start to be delayed until June 1971. Founder Rollin King took inspiration from PSA. Founding president Lamar Muse

3264-570: A model for Southwest Airlines , which did in Texas what PSA had done in California. After the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, PSA expanded to cities in other US western states and Mexico. However, PSA's performance in the new deregulated era was disappointing relative to that of Southwest and PSA's former fellow California intrastate carrier AirCal . In 1986, USAir agreed to purchase PSA,

3400-403: A plan to build a series of terminals and parking facilities, arranged in the shape of the letter U, in the central portion of the property. The original plan called for the terminal buildings to be connected at the center of the property by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The dome was never built, but a smaller Theme Building , constructed in the central area, became a focal point for people coming to

3536-662: A post-security bridge between the terminals, a bus gate to take passengers to boarding gates in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and will provide future connection to the APM. Former tenants of the terminal include Air California , Air Hawaii , AirTran Airways , America West Airlines , Braniff , Lynx Air , Morris Air , Pacific Southwest Airlines , Piedmont Airlines , StatesWest Airlines , TranStar Airlines , and US Airways . Terminal 2 has 13 gates: Gates 20, 21, 21B, 22, 23A, 23B, 24, 25A, 25B, 26A, 26B, 27, and 28. As of June 2022, this terminal, along with Terminal 3, serves as

3672-466: A raft of bills to punish the carriers, even suggesting a state-owned airline, but the market had already taken care of the problem. United Airlines had already announced an increase in frequency on Los Angeles to San Francisco from 16 to 27 per day and Southwest Airlines had announced it was entering Burbank with 10 a day service to Oakland at a last-minute fare of $ 59 one way, $ 29 in advance. The resulting Los Angeles Basin to San Francisco Bay fare war

3808-778: A result, JetBlue announced they would create a new operating base at LAX, as they planned a big expansion at the airport. JetBlue opened its LAX operating base on October 7, 2020, at Terminal 5. Because they moved their base to Los Angeles, they were able to expand domestically and internationally on the West Coast. Former tenants of the terminal include Aeromexico , Air Jamaica , Air Tahiti Nui , Allegiant , British Caledonian , China Southern Airlines , Delta Air Lines , Ecuatoriana de Aviación , Frontier , Hawaiian Airlines , Mexicana , Northwest Airlines , SkyWest Airlines , Song , Sun Country , Swissair , TriStar Airlines , and Western Airlines . American Airlines has one Admirals Club in

3944-475: A seat on the Board of Directors but continued as a full-time pilot for the airline. Tom astutely invested in a Toyota distributorship in the late 1960s, Gulf States Toyota , now a multi-billion dollar business run by Tom's son, Kenny's grandson, Dan Friedkin . PSA was known for its sense of humor. Founder Ken Friedkin wore Hawaiian shirts and encouraged his pilots and stewardesses to joke with passengers. Its slogan

4080-458: A shuttle bus to the West Gates of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, where the flights operate. Terminal 1 was built in 1984 for Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA). The terminal was last extensively renovated in 2018, providing updates to the security screening area, terminal areas and baggage handling. The terminal was also expanded in 2021 to fill in the area between terminals 1 and 2, adding

4216-464: A sterile corridor that shunts them to Terminal 7's customs and immigration facility. On November 6, 2014, American Airlines moved US Airways flights from Terminal 3 into Terminal 6, taking 4 gates in the Connector Building. On January 31, 2017, American Airlines relocated these 4 gates to Terminal 5 as part of the larger LAX Terminal relocation program. In April 2011, Alaska Airlines agreed to

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4352-456: A terrible accident in 1964. PSA believed it would benefit from market stability, but observers predicted that over time the CPUC would become just as restrictive as the CAB, which, in fact, happened. From 1965 through US airline deregulation in 1978, the CPUC certified only two intrastate airlines: Air California and Holiday Airlines . From September 17, 1965, through 1978, PSA would have to apply to

4488-408: Is Southwest Airlines, originally a Texas intrastate airline that PSA inspired. Southwest inspired low-cost airlines globally. PSA therefore was a key company in the advent of low-cost air travel. Another legacy stems from Kenny Friedkin's son Thomas H. Friedkin , a PSA pilot in 1962 when his father died. A year later, Tom's mother (Kenny's widow) died, making him the largest PSA shareholder. Tom had

4624-528: Is separated into five different areas: North Concourse (9 gates: 130–135, 137, 139, 141); Bus Gates (6 gates: 136, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146); South Concourse (10 gates: 148, 150–157, 159); West Gates (15 gates: 201A, 201B, 202–208, 209A, 209B, 210A, 210B, 221, 225); and the Bus Port. The Bus Gates and the Bus Port are used to shuttle passengers from the remote check-in area at Terminal 1, between Terminals B and 2, and between Terminal B and nine satellite gates located on

4760-535: Is served by LADOT Commuter Express line 574 to Sylmar and Encino . This bus stop is also served by some of the same routes as the LAX City Bus Center: Los Angeles Metro lines 40 (overnight only), 117 and 232 and Torrance Transit line 8. The FlyAway bus is a nonstop motorcoach/shuttle service run by LAWA , which provides scheduled service between LAX and Union Station in Downtown LA or

4896-417: Is the world's fourth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and eleventh-busiest by cargo traffic , serving over 87 million passengers and 2 million tons of freight and mail in 2018. It is the busiest airport in the state of California, and the fifth-busiest (2022) airport by passenger boardings in the United States. In terms of international passengers, the second busiest airport for international traffic in

5032-452: Is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area , in the U.S. state of California . LAX is located in the Westchester neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, 18 miles (29 km; 16 nmi) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles , with the commercial and residential areas of Westchester to the north, the city of El Segundo to the south, and

5168-517: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operationally regulated PSA. As of September 17, 1965, the CPUC had new powers over California intrastate airlines of economic certification (PSA was grandfathered) route entry/exit and service quality (e.g. frequency). PSA was in favor of this. In the early 1960s, a number of new entrant California intrastate carriers had come and gone, the most notorious being Paradise Airlines , which had

5304-575: The LAX color tunnels , to make the 300–500-foot (91–152 m) walk feel shorter. Terminals 7 and 8 (built for United Airlines ) were the first to be completed on June 25, 1961, followed by Terminals 3 ( Trans World Airlines ), 4 ( American Airlines ), and 5 ( Western Airlines ) in September. Terminal 2 opened as the international terminal in December. Terminal 6, a "consolidated" terminal for other domestic carriers,

5440-487: The National Register of Historic Places . Over the next year, the airport started to come together: the dirt runway was replaced with an all-weather surface and more hangars, a restaurant, and a control tower were built. On June 7, 1930, the facility was dedicated and renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport. The airport was used by private pilots and flying schools, but the city’s vision was that Los Angeles would become

5576-537: The world's eighth-busiest airport , according to the Airports Council International rankings. As the largest and busiest international airport on the West Coast of the United States , LAX is a major international gateway for the country, serving as a connection point for passengers traveling internationally (such as East and Southeast Asia, Australasia , Mexico, and Central America). The airport holds

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5712-541: The "outboard" runways as little as possible and, between midnight and 6:30am, the air traffic pattern shifts to "Over-Ocean Operations", under which departing aircraft continue to take off to the west, but arriving aircraft also approach from the west, over the ocean. There are times when the Over-Ocean and Westerly operations are not possible, particularly when the winds originate from the east, typically during inclement weather and when Santa Ana winds occur. In those cases,

5848-410: The 1928 National Air Races. On August 13, 1928 the city leased the land and the newly formed Department of Airports began converting the fields, once used to grow wheat , barley , and lima beans , into dirt landing strips. The airport opened on October 1, 1928 and the first structure, Hangar No. 1 , was erected in 1929. The building still stands at the airport, remaining in active use and listed on

5984-639: The 1930s, US airports used a two-letter abbreviation and "LA" served as the designation for Los Angeles Airport. With rapid growth in the aviation industry, in 1947, the identifiers were expanded to three letters, and "LA" received an extra letter to become "LAX". The "X" does not have any specific meaning. "LAX" is also used for the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro and by Amtrak for Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles . Runways 24R/06L and 24L/06R (designated

6120-565: The Airline Deregulation Act, the minute PSA started flying to Nevada in December 1978, it was free of the CPUC. The CPUC didn’t take that lying down. The CPUC sued in Federal court to overturn the Airline Deregulation Act , lost, appealed, and lost again. As the regulated era drew to a close, PSA suffered a terrible crash in September 1978 when a 727 collided with a small plane over San Diego, fatal to all on both aircraft and to some on

6256-631: The American Eagle satellite terminal, 4 dedicated gates at Terminal 5, as well as 4 rotating gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal). American Airlines has two clubs in the terminal: one Admirals Club and one Flagship Lounge. Former tenants of the terminal include: Air California , Alaska Airlines , America West Airlines , KLM , Midwest Airlines , Northwest Airlines , Piedmont Airlines , Pride Air , Reno Air , Sun Aire Lines , and Wings West Airlines . Terminal 5 has 17 gates: Gates 50, 51A, 51B, 53A, 53B, 54A, 54B, 55A, 55B, 51A–51D, 57–59, and

6392-473: The Bay Area and Los Angeles than any other airline. Total PSA passengers climbed from 355,000 in 1959 to 1,305,000 in 1963 and 5,162,000 in 1970. On March 16, 1962, founder Kenny Friedman, only 47 years old, died of a cerebral hemorrhage . He had lived to see his airline become a success, but it was still tiny, with only five aircraft. J. Floyd Andrews, one of Friedkin's fellow founders, took over. Andrews's era

6528-468: The CPUC for all new routes, generally in competition with Air California. Despite having total network freedom, PSA evolved its network minimally from 1949 to 1965: it served only five airports: San Diego, LAX, Burbank, San Francisco and Oakland. In 1965, Orange County Airport (later John Wayne Airport (SNA)), had a new runway. It approached PSA (among other airlines) about serving it (SNA had long-standing minimal service from Bonanza Air Lines ), and like

6664-681: The Connector project, which joined the Ticketing Building to the Satellite and the Satellite Extension, adding additional gates and facilities. Prior to October 2014, United Airlines used the connector gates, supplementing its base at Terminal 7. Delta also leased some space from the Airport in Terminal 6, in addition to its base at Terminal 5. Most rotunda gates can feed arriving passengers into

6800-609: The Employee South Lot. Route E – Economy Parking connects the Central Terminal Area and the West Intermodal Transportation Facility , the airport's economy parking garage. Route M – Metro Connector connects the Central Terminal Area with the Aviation/LAX station on the Metro C Line and the Aviation/Century station on the C Line and K Line . Buses also stop at the "Remote Rental Car Depot",

6936-476: The FAA had limited air traffic control capacity, so allocated each airline takeoff/landing slots at specific airports. When Braniff collapsed, those rights were temporarily allocated to others. If Braniff flew again, it could recover those rights, grounding some operations at other carriers. It was a strong competitive lever. The initial deal failed when Braniff pilots refused to agree to lower seniority than PSA pilots in

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7072-616: The FlyAway terminal at the Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley . FlyAway buses stop at every LAX terminal in a counter-clockwise direction, starting at terminal 1. The service hours vary based on the line, with most leaving on or near the top of the hour. Buses use the regional system of high-occupancy vehicle lanes and high-occupancy toll lanes ( Metro ExpressLanes ) to expedite their trips. LAX does not currently have

7208-417: The K Line can travel to Aviation/LAX station on LAWA Route M (Metro Connector), and from there take the C and K Line Link (line 857 ) to Westchester/Veterans station while the rest of the K Line connecting to the APM is being built. Pacific Southwest Airlines For three quarters of its existence, PSA operated as a California intrastate airline . PSA's early success as an intrastate airline served as

7344-701: The LAX City Bus Center, which is located away from the Central Terminal Area on 96th Street, east of Sepulveda Boulevard. LAX Shuttle route C offers free connections between the LAX City Bus Center and the Central Terminal Area. The LAX City Bus Center is served by Beach Cities Transit line 109 to Redondo Beach , Culver CityBus lines 6 and Rapid 6 to Culver City and UCLA , Los Angeles Metro Bus lines 102 to South Gate , 111 to Norwalk , 117 to Downey and 232 to Long Beach , Santa Monica Big Blue Bus lines 3 and Rapid 3 to Santa Monica , and Torrance Transit line 8 to Torrance . During

7480-583: The MD-80s and 175 for the 727-200s. In one respect, PSA was lucky: the BAe-146 was eventually notorious for fairly significant engine problems that PSA management never had to deal with because it sold the company before they became well known. As a stopgap, the airline also acquired four 110-seat used DC-9s from Air Canada in 1983. PSA did not prioritize a single fleet type. But if looking for reasons for underperformance, management might have considered itself, since it

7616-619: The North Airfield Complex) are north of the airport terminals, while runways 25R/07L and 25L/07R (designated the South Airfield Complex) are south of the airport terminals. LAX is located with the Pacific Ocean to the west and residential communities on all other sides. Since 1972, Los Angeles World Airports has adopted a "Preferential Runway Use Policy" to minimize noise levels in the communities closest to LAX. Typically,

7752-760: The San Franciscan Hotel in downtown San Francisco. In June, PSA bought the Islandia in San Diego's Mission Bay . In June 1971, PSA committed to a to-be constructed hotel at the Los Angeles Hollywood Park Racetrack (now the site of SoFi Stadium ), and in December 1971, committed to a to-be constructed hotel within the Queen Mary attraction in Long Beach The synergies were not obvious. None of

7888-521: The Tahoe routes between Air California and PSA on an emergency basis, but required the two carriers use Electras for Tahoe. One of PSA's first actions of the deregulated era (which started January 1, 1979) was to exit Tahoe, citing the high cost of Electras in a fleet that otherwise comprised 31 727s. In 1967 PSA was finally allowed to use offshore airway V25 to San Diego, despite being an intrastate airline. An early indication that, for J. Floyd Andrews, PSA

8024-629: The Tom Bradley International Terminal opened in June 1984. The original terminals also received expansions and updates in the 1980s. Since 2008, the airport has been undergoing another major expansion. All of the terminals are being refurbished, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal was substantially rebuilt, with a West Gates satellite concourse added. Outside of the terminal area, the LAX West Intermodal Transportation Facility with 4,300 parking spaces opened in 2021, replacing

8160-696: The United States, behind only JFK in New York City. The number of aircraft movements (landings and takeoffs) was 700,362 in 2017, the third most of any airport in the world. In the secure area of the airport, tunnels or above-ground connectors link all the terminals except for the regional terminal . LAX Shuttle route A operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers. However, connecting passengers who use these shuttles must leave and then later re-enter security. LAX operates several shuttle routes to connect passengers and employees around

8296-461: The airline and Wall Street thought it would be a winner. But in December 1978, Paul Barkley, then PSA’s chief operating officer (later CEO), spoke about the deregulated future a few weeks away. He expected something fairly sedate, quite different from the bitter Darwinistic struggle that would engulf the industry: Dallas-Fort Worth –based Braniff International Airways was the first trunk carrier to fail after deregulation. US trunk airlines were

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8432-457: The airline due to lessons learned from a failed precursor airline ( Friedkin Airlines ). Reservations were initially taken at a World War II surplus latrine refitted as a ticket office. The original fare from Burbank to Oakland was $ 9.99. In July 1951 PSA added a flight to San Francisco . Oakland would be dropped in 1954, but restored to the system in 1965. DC-3s would go in and out of the fleet, but

8568-464: The airlines were finally convinced to make the move. After the end of the War, four temporary terminals were quickly erected on the north side of the airport and, on December 9, 1946, American Airlines , Trans World Airlines (TWA), United Airlines , Southwest Airways , and Western Airlines began passenger operations at the airport, with Pan American Airways (Pan Am) joining the next month. The airport

8704-615: The airport area: Route A – Terminal Connector operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers. However, connecting passengers who use these shuttles must leave and then later re-enter security. Route C – City Bus Center connects the Central Terminal Area and the LAX City Bus Center which is served by transit buses from Beach Cities Transit , Culver CityBus , Los Angeles Metro , Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and Torrance Transit . Buses on this route also serve

8840-411: The airport dates back to 1958 when the architecture firm Pereira & Luckman was contracted to plan the re-design of the airport for the " jet age ." The plan, developed with architects Welton Becket and Paul Williams , called for a series of terminals and parking structures in the central portion of the property, with these buildings connected at the center by a huge steel-and-glass dome. The dome

8976-474: The airport shifts to the non-preferred "Easterly Operations" air traffic pattern, under which departing aircraft take off to the east, and arriving aircraft approach from the west. The South Airfield Complex tends to see more operations than the North, because there are a larger number of passenger gates and air cargo operations areas on the south side of the airport grounds. In 2007, the southernmost runway (07R/25L)

9112-628: The airport will be served by the LAX Automated People Mover , which will connect terminals to one another on the landside , along with providing connections to the LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility , parking facilities, and the LAX/Metro Transit Center station , which will be served by the Los Angeles Metro Rail system and public bus routes. In addition to these terminals, there are 2 million square feet (190,000 m) of cargo facilities. The basic layout of

9248-532: The airport, LAX prefers to use the "inboard" runways (06R/24L and 07L/25R) for departures, closest to the central terminal area and further from residential areas, and the "outboard" runways for arrivals. Historically, over 90% of flights have used the "inboard" departures and "outboard" arrivals scheme. During night-time hours, when there are fewer aircraft operations and residential areas tend to be more noise sensitive, additional changes are made to reduce noise. Between 10pm and 7am, air traffic controllers try to use

9384-491: The airport. The first of the new passenger buildings, Terminals 7 and 8, were opened for United Airlines on June 25, 1961, following opening festivities that lasted several days. Terminals 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 opened later that same year. There was a major expansion of the airport in the early 1980s, ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games . In November 1983, a second-level roadway was added, Terminal 1 opened in January 1984 and

9520-578: The city of Inglewood to the east. LAX is the closest airport to the Westside and the South Bay . The airport is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a branch of the Los Angeles city government , that also operates the Van Nuys Airport for general aviation. The airport covers 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land and has four parallel runways. In 2023, LAX handled 75,050,875 passengers, making it

9656-486: The competition were First Class only ($ 22.05); the rest carried coach passengers for $ 13.50, all fares subject to then 5% federal excise tax. In July 1958 PSA shifted some flights from Burbank to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX); that year it carried 296,000 passengers. In late 1959 PSA began flying Lockheed Electra turboprops with 92 seats and a six-seat lounge, replacing 70-seat DC-4s. In 1963 PSA got its sixth Electra; by then it carried more passengers between

9792-457: The continued success of Southwest. PSA started as an offshoot of San Diego–based Friedkin Aeronautics, the flight school Kenny Friedkin started to train returning GIs . When GI business dried up, on May 6, 1949, Friedkin started flying once a week from San Diego to Oakland via Burbank with a $ 1,000-a-month leased Douglas DC-3 . Friedkin obtained information from a travel agent upon starting

9928-527: The country, it promised lower prices. But California already had lower prices, set by the CPUC. By comparison, in Texas, Southwest Airlines set its own fares, the Texas Aeronautics Commission didn’t get involved. The concern (and expectation) was deregulation would lead to higher prices. California legislators and governor Jerry Brown wanted the CPUC to remain in charge of any airline that did over 50% of its business in California. This amendment

10064-536: The descendants of the original 16 airlines certified by the CAB and thereafter regulated to be the main US carriers. Braniff had been successful just prior to deregulation, but Harding Lawrence , Braniff’s imperious long-time leader, expanded the carrier excessively immediately after deregulation, resulting in its May 1982 bankruptcy and shut-down. Until Continental did so in 1983, no one knew an airline could recover from Chapter 11 bankruptcy . In October 1982, PSA announced

10200-677: The distant Bradley West gates. The satellite regional terminal is only accessible by an airside shuttle bus that connects to Terminals 4 and 5. Terminal 1 has 14 gates: Gates 9, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13–16, 17A, 17B, 18A, 18B, and the bus gate. As of May 2023, this terminal serves as an operating base for Southwest Airlines (Southwest operates point-to-point routes with bases instead of hubs). The terminal also has check-in facilities for Air Transat , Allegiant Air , Breeze Airways , Condor , Cayman Airways , Frontier , Sun Country Airlines , and VivaAerobús . After clearing security in Terminal 1, passengers for all airlines other than Southwest board

10336-488: The event PSA ever merged with the PSA-Braniff operation (to ensure PSA pilots always got first pick of flying). Pride as well as pay was in play: PSA was perceived as junior-league relative to Braniff. A new deal with Braniff simply equipped a new carrier with Braniff equipment to fly under contract to PSA, sidestepping Braniff’s unions. Braniff would even loan PSA the funds. Further, the FAA noted if Braniff resumed flying it

10472-443: The eye of one observer included: Until 1965, as an intrastate airline PSA had a free hand in terms of how and where it flew within California. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) was limited to regulating PSA's prices. So long as PSA stayed within the boundaries of an intrastate airline, the federal Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), which otherwise tightly regulated US airlines, had no say, though as with any US airline,

10608-831: The facility is currently not in operation, and will not reopen until security and usability renovations are completed. Former tenants of the terminal include Air Canada , Air L.A. , Air Mobility Command , Air New Zealand , Air Resorts , Líneas Aéreas Allegro , Asiana , ATA Airlines , Aviacsa , Avianca , Braniff International Airways , Caledonian Airways , Canadian Pacific Air Lines , CAAC Airlines , Capitol Air , Carnival Air Lines , Denver Ports of Call , Hawaiian Airlines , KLM , LTU International , MarkAir , Miami Air International , National Airlines (1934–1980) , Northwest Airlines , Omni Air International , Pacific Express , Pan Am , Pan American Airways , People Express Airlines , Ryan International Airlines , Skyservice Airlines , VASP , Virgin Atlantic , World Airways , and

10744-530: The first floor of the Theme Building in 2018. LAWA currently has several plans to modernize LAX, at a cost of $ 30 billion. These include terminal and runway improvements, which will "enhance the passenger experience, reduce overcrowding, and provide airport access to the latest class of very large passenger aircraft"; this will bring the number of LAX's total gates from 146 to 182. Recently completed improvements include: Future improvements include: It

10880-567: The fleet comprised one 727-100, 16 727-200s and nine 737s. In the late 1960s PSA also briefly had DC-9s, the justification was to train pilots of other airlines. As discussed below, the L-1011s made a brief appearance in 1974-1975, but by then PSA was shedding the 737s; the last left in the fleet in 1976. In 1975, Lockheed Electras returned to support flights to Tahoe (see below). Other than the Electras (required to operate to Tahoe), PSA settled on 727s in

11016-404: The flightcrew, causing the aircraft to crash, killing everyone on board. The fact pattern of a (former) USAir employee killing PSA crew and passengers overshadowed the last days of PSA. PSA finally merged into USAir on April 9, 1988. PS Group had long since banked what it was paid for its PSA, creating a well-funded life-raft for select former PSA executives, among which Chairman Paul Barkley. By

11152-405: The flying schools found themselves in high demand. In January 1942, the military assumed control of the airport, stationing fighter planes there, and building naval gun batteries in the ocean dunes to the west. Meanwhile, airport managers published a master plan for the land and, in early 1943, convinced voters to back a $ 12.5 million bond for airport improvements. With a plan and funding in place,

11288-414: The former Lot C. A new LAX/Metro Transit Center station and a LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ConRAC) are being built. All will be connected to the terminal area by the LAX Automated People Mover . In the near future, airport managers plan to build two more terminals (0 and 9). All together, those projects are expected to cost of $ 14 billion and bring LAX's total gates from 146 to 182. Before

11424-445: The ground. It was made worse for PSA by: 1978 wasn't through with PSA yet. At the end of 1978 it transpired corporate raider Harold Simmons had accumulated a 20% stake. When PSA, appealing to investors, referred to a 30-year history of success, Simmons printed ads summarizing PSA’s far-from-successful 1970s financials and noting 1977 profits were about half those of 1971, despite revenues almost twice as large. But as PSA said, Andrews

11560-533: The hotels were located at airports, none of them were value-oriented. In 1973, CEO Andrews called the hotels "a complete flop" and in 1974 gave three of them to Hyatt to run. It took years for PSA to extricate itself. In 1979, PSA finally sold the San Franciscan but had yet to sell the Queen Mary hotel. In August 1970, PSA started buying radio stations. By 1975, its four stations were for sale. PSA also bought

11696-463: The initial phase of passenger terminal construction at the airport. When it originally opened, it was a common use, multi-carrier terminal that supported the operations of Continental Airlines , Delta Air Lines, Pacific Air Lines and Pacific Southwest Airlines . The original building was capable of handling six planes at one time. In the early 1970s, Continental and Delta built the "Satellite Extension" to expand Satellite 6, adding additional gates to

11832-455: The late 1970s, acquiring used 727-100s as well as additional new 727-200s. PSA entered Tahoe after Holiday Airlines collapsed. Holiday basically served nowhere other than Tahoe, a choice that that sealed its fate . PSA applied to the CPUC for Holiday's routes in 1974 Holiday said it couldn’t afford to defend itself in front of the CPUC and went out of business in February 1975. The CPUC split

11968-438: The loudest operations at an airport are from departing aircraft, with engines operating at high power, so during daytime hours (6:30am to midnight), LAX prefers to operate under the "Westerly Operations" air traffic pattern, named for the prevailing west winds. Under "Westerly Operations", departing aircraft take off to the west, over the ocean, and arriving aircraft approach from the east. To reduce noise to areas north and south of

12104-582: The main passenger hub for the area. However, the airport failed to entice any carriers away from the established Burbank Airport or the Grand Central Airport in Glendale. World War II put a pause on any further development of the airport for passenger use. Before the United States entered the war, the aviation manufacturers located around the airport were busy providing aircraft for the Allied powers , while

12240-463: The majority of the International carriers before the Tom Bradley International Terminal opened. A Delta Sky Club operates on the upper level of Terminal 2; space originally built for a second lounge is currently in use as offices. Terminal 3 has 15 gates: Gates 30A, 30B, 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33, 34A, 34B, 35, 36, 37A, 37B, and 38. As of June 2022, this terminal, along with Terminal 2, serves as

12376-407: The natural beneficiaries of deregulation (see prior sections). But in fact, PSA did poorly. As the nearby table shows, AirCal’s nominal growth from 1978 (the last year of regulation) to 1985 was double that of PSA, Southwest was nearly triple. Perhaps most striking was the comparison of PSA with Piedmont Airlines , which pre-deregulation had been a local service airline regulated by the CAB. Piedmont

12512-402: The need for the city to have its own airport to tap into the fledgling, but quickly growing, aviation industry. Several locations were considered, but the final choice was a 640-acre (1.00 sq mi; 260 ha) field in the southern part of Westchester . The location had been promoted by real estate agent William W. Mines, and Mines Field as it was known had already been selected to host

12648-417: The order, but Lockheed said it couldn't. In September 1972, PSA signed a new order, deliveries starting 1974. PSA grounded its two L-1011s after eight months. A 300 seat aircraft never made sense in a business model that depended on quick aircraft turnarounds. Economics presented to the CPUC showed L-1011 per-seat costs no better than a 727 despite being twice as large. PSA refused the last three aircraft and

12784-422: The original satellite, and was renovated in 2002 at the cost of $ 400 million in order to improve the appearance and functionality of the facility. The renovation was designed by Rivers & Christian. Some international departures operate at TBIT. American Airlines and American Eagle have more gates than any other airline at LAX, with 28 ( American Airlines operates from 32 gates in total, including 9 gates at

12920-405: The others, PSA demurred. This was a mistake: PSA tried to buy Air California twice: PSA’s fleet changed constantly in the 1960s and 1970s. The 1960s started with Electras, then Boeing 727-100s arrived in 1965, PSA's first pure jet. The last Electra flight was September 1968 By 1969, PSA was swapping out 727-100s and replacing them with bigger 727-200s plus 737-200s. At the beginning of 1970,

13056-493: The overnight hours, Los Angeles Metro line 40 offers service to Downtown Los Angeles. The LAX City Bus Center will eventually be replaced by the LAX/Metro Transit Center station , which will be connected to the rest of LAX by the Automated People Mover system. There is also a bus stop at Sepulveda Boulevard and Century Boulevard that is a 1 ⁄ 4 -mile (0.40 km) walk away from Terminals 1 and 7/8 that

13192-514: The record for the world's busiest origin and destination airport, because relative to other airports, many more travelers begin or end their trips in Los Angeles than use it as a connection. In 2019, LAWA reported approximately 88 percent of travelers at LAX were origination and destination passengers, and 12 percent were connecting. It is also the only airport to rank among the top five U.S. airports for both passenger and cargo traffic. LAX serves as

13328-712: The result of the global COVID-19 pandemic . Former tenants of the terminal include Air California , AirTran Airways , American Airlines , ATA Airlines , Bonanza Air Lines , Braniff International Airways , Eastern Air Lines , Golden West Airlines , The Hawaii Express , Midway Airlines , Midwest Airlines , Northeastern International Airways , Pacific East Airlines , Pacific Express , Reno Air , Southwest Airlines , Spirit Airlines , Trans World Airlines , US Airways , Virgin America , Virgin Australia , and Western Pacific Airlines . Terminal 3 has one Delta SkyClub located off

13464-532: The rise in fuel prices, which PSA also blamed) and too labor intensive (given its three person cockpit vs two places for the MD-80). 727s were a big factor in driving the company to ordering 20 BAe-146 aircraft in late 1983, which were both smaller and extremely quiet (an advantage in California where noise politics was a factor at airports like Orange County, Long Beach and Burbank). PSA may have overcorrected – PSA ultimately configured BAe-146s with only 85 seats vs 150 for

13600-416: The role the CPUC played in the 1975 demise of Holiday Airlines . PSA also played a special role at the CPUC. It was assumed to be the most efficient carrier, therefore CPUC fares were set relative to what would make the highest permissible profit for PSA – all other carriers operating in California then had to toe that line. So PSA had ample reason to regret its support of that 1965 legislation. However, under

13736-511: The separate satellite and ticketing buildings into one continuous terminal. While connections between some terminals had existed for years, by 2023, as a result of the ongoing Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), passengers could walk through all the main terminals without needing to exit the secure area and be rescreened: There are also airside shuttles connecting some of these terminals; for instance, some airlines have check-in counters at Terminal 1 and then provide shuttle bus service to

13872-462: The south end of the building and reconfiguring the existing structure to accommodate the new "jumbo jet," the Boeing 747. When the project was complete, Satellite 6 was able to simultaneously handle eight planes: two 747s, four wide-bodied tri-jets, and two smaller planes such as the Boeing 707 or 727. Four of these gates have two jetways, which can accommodate large aircraft. In 1982, Continental sponsored

14008-582: The terminal include American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Copa Airlines , Delta Air Lines, Eastern Air Lines , Frontier Airlines , Great Lakes Airlines , Hughes Airwest , Lufthansa , National Airlines , Pacific Air Lines , Pacific Southwest Airlines , Republic Airlines , SkyWest Airlines , Swift Aire Lines , Ted , United Airlines , Wardair , Virgin America , VivaAerobus , and US Airways . Terminal 7 has 13 gates: Gates 70A, 70B, 71A, 71B, 72A, 72B, 73, 74, 75A, 75B, 76A, 76B, and 77. As of June 2022, this terminal, along with Terminal 8, serves as

14144-580: The terminal, along with Terminal 7 serves as a hub for United Airlines. Terminal 8 was originally called Concourse 8 or Satellite 8 because it does not have its own passenger processing facilities (ticketing, security checkpoint or baggage claim) and relies on the facilities located in Terminal 7. The building was redeveloped in 1982, ahead of the 1984 Olympics . The Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), also referred as "'Terminal B'", has 40 gates: Gates 130–225. The terminal hosts more than 45 airlines, most of them are foreign carriers. The massive terminal

14280-467: The terminal. Terminal 6 has 16 gates: Gates 60–63, 64A–64C, 65A–65C, 66, 67, 68A, 68B, 69A, and 69B. As of June 2022, the terminal serves as a hub for Alaska Airlines and is also used by Air Canada , Porter Airlines , and small regional airlines Advanced Air and Southern Airways Express . The terminal opened as "Satellite 6" and "Ticketing Building 6" in November 1963 and marked the conclusion of

14416-509: The time the merger was consummated, PS Group had used some the PSA money to buy a stake in a travel agency business, to go along with its aircraft leasing and oil & gas interests. The successors of PSA and AirCal, USAir and American, raised prices, reflecting their higher costs. In early 1990, the last-minute roundtrip fare from Los Angeles to Sacramento was $ 456, over $ 1000 in 2024 dollars. State legislators were increasingly irate, finally proposing

14552-404: The total number was never more than four. PSA was one of eight California intrastate carriers that started flying in the 13 month period from January 1949 through January 1950 - but only California Central Airlines (CCA) and PSA lasted longer than a year. CCA started in January 1949 and through its demise in February 1955 was larger, and flew better equipment ( Martin 2-0-2s ) than PSA. But CCA

14688-508: The transaction closed in 1987 and PSA was integrated into USAir in 1988. The PSA acquisition gave USAir a network on the West Coast, but by 1991 USAir had largely withdrawn from California in the face of fierce fare wars driven, in significant part, by the spread of Southwest. Today's American Airlines Group continues to protect the PSA trademark by using it as a name for a regional airline subsidiary, PSA Airlines . PSA did not survive for long after deregulation, but its influence lives on through

14824-475: The walkway between Terminal 2 and 3. A Delta One Lounge is scheduled to open in 2024. Terminal 4 has 16 gates: Gates 40, 41, 42A, 42B, 43–45, 46A, 46C, 47A, 47B, 48A, 48B, 49A, and 49B. As of June 2022, this terminal, the Regional Terminal, and part of Terminal 5, serve as a hub for American Airlines . Terminal 4 was built in 1961, was expanded in 1983 by adding a connector from the ticketing areas to

14960-585: The west side of the LAX airfield. The Tom Bradley International Terminal has nine lounges. Three are operated by the major airline alliances: Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance, the rest are operated by American Express, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Korean Air and Qantas, alongside the independent "Los Angeles International Lounge." The West Gates building has space for lounges but is not yet in use. Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport ( IATA : LAX , ICAO : KLAX , FAA LID : LAX )

15096-498: The windows to make them resemble the more modern Douglas DC-6 . In January 1958 PSA scheduled 37 DC-4s a week Burbank to San Francisco (29 of which originated in San Diego) and four nonstops San Diego to San Francisco; United Airlines , Western Airlines and TWA then scheduled a total of 241 nonstop flights each week from Los Angeles to San Francisco, plus 49 flights a week from Burbank to San Francisco. About half of these flights by

15232-419: Was "The World's Friendliest Airline", and its recognizable trademark was a smile painted on the nose of each plane and an accompanying advertising campaign declaring "Catch Our Smile". Because of the major San Diego flight schedule and its discount fares, military personnel nicknamed PSA the "Poor Sailor's Airline." After PSA was bought by USAir, ex-PSA mechanics would occasionally paint smiles on USAir planes as

15368-517: Was San Diego International Airport's commuter terminal until 2015 when it was converted into administrative offices of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. There were other attempted hijackings which resulted in no injuries and the surrender of the hijacker(s). These incidents are not included. The following are notable hijackings because of fatalities or because the aircraft flew to another country: PSA served

15504-415: Was a separate publicly-traded stock for the airline. On July 28, 1986, there was an initial public offering for the airline (1.8mm shares at $ 7). Meanwhile, to eliminate confusion, the parent company (which retained its own stock listing) was renamed "PS Group, Inc.". In the midst of this activity, the holding company continued to diversify. In September 1985, it added to its oil and gas investments. 1986

15640-463: Was brutal, made worse when Iraq invaded Kuwait thereby spiking oil prices, collapsing demand for international travel and tipping the US into the Gulf War . In January 1991, in announcements only two weeks apart, first American and then USAir gutted the former AirCal and PSA systems, throwing in the towel less than five years after offering to buy the former intrastate airlines. The indirect legacy of PSA

15776-586: Was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997 but is no longer in business. Visitors are able to take the elevator up to the observation deck of the "Theme Building", which had previously been closed after the September 11, 2001 attacks for security reasons. A memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks is located on the grounds, as three of the four hijacked planes were originally destined for LAX. The Bob Hope USO expanded and relocated to

15912-457: Was designed by HNTB , and was constructed by Hensel Phelps Construction . Added were new gate podiums, increased size of gate areas, relocated concessions, expanded restrooms, new flooring, and new signage. Also, the roof of the terminal was raised, and new, brighter light fixtures were added in order to provide more overall lighting. In 2017, Terminal 7 underwent another renovation, with significant changes to concessions. The terminal also contains

16048-610: Was entitled to its takeoff/landing slots, but a new airline that just happened to use Braniff assets was not. The deal died in March 1983. A second iteration of Braniff did start flying in 1984 without PSA help, ultimately without success, possible due to Texas already being home to Southwest (which, expanding westward, had already entered PSA’s home city of San Diego in January 1982), American Airlines (which viewed Dallas-Fort Worth as its own, having moved its headquarters there in 1979) and Continental Airlines , which in 1983 would go through

16184-500: Was expanded in 1970 to accommodate widebody operations and between 1980 and 1987, which included a new passenger connector building and baggage system connected to the original satellite. It formerly housed some American Airlines flights after that airline acquired Reno Air and TWA in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Virgin America was also based here from 2008–2017 until the Alaska Airlines merger moved them to Terminal 6. US Airways

16320-413: Was expressed monetarily: in 1978, Southwest management and directors owned 6% of PSA, while PSA directors and management owned 10% of Southwest. In July 1968, PSA bought rental car company Valcar, a former Hertz subsidiary with a west-coast presence. Like PSA, Valcar had a budget orientation, but PSA couldn't make it work and shut it down in 1971, after failing to sell it. In April 1969, PSA bought

16456-613: Was gone. Simmons evinced no desire to "destroy" PSA, seeing it instead as a takeover candidate from which he could profit. PSA won a shareholder vote to implement takeover defenses with just a bit more than 50% but the company had post-dated the shareholder record date to ensure Simmons couldn’t vote his whole stake. Simmons said he’d sue. In the end, PSA paid him off by giving him some aircraft in exchange for his stake. To be fair, notwithstanding Flight 182, PSA’s 1978 financials were somewhat better, but significantly flattered by an accounting change. As PSA headed towards deregulation, both

16592-428: Was housed in Terminal 3 after renovations were started in Terminal 1 from February 2014 until eventually, all American flights were moved to Terminal 4. Terminal 3 was closed, partially demolished and reconstructed between November 2020 and April 2022 as part of Delta Air Lines' $ 1.9 billion "Delta Sky Way at LAX" modernization project. The pace of construction was accelerated due to the decline in passenger air travel as

16728-434: Was minimal. The purchase closed May 29, 1987, but PSA and USAir pilot union chapters fought over transition agreements, delaying the merger of PSA into USAir beyond the original January 1, 1988, date. PSA thus still existed under USAir ownership when on December 7, 1987, a fired USAir employee used his credentials (which had not been recovered from him) to sneak a gun on board PSA Flight 1771. En-route, he shot, among others,

16864-487: Was moved 55 feet (17 m) to the south to accommodate a new central taxiway. Runways in the North Airfield Complex are separated by 700 feet (210 m). There were plans to increase the separation by 260 feet (79 m), which would have allowed a central taxiway between runways to have been built, but faced opposition from residents living north of LAX. These plans were scrapped in 2016, in favor of lifting

17000-509: Was never built but the Theme Building built in the central area became a focal point visible to people coming to the airport. Each terminal originally had a common design: a satellite building out in the middle of the ramp, reached by tunnels from a separate ticketing building. Originally the tunnels were supposed to have moving walkways . Still, they were eliminated due to funding cuts. Instead, they received mosaics which came to be known as

17136-489: Was not as focused as PSA (which stuck just to the San Diego to Bay Area route) and ultimately went bankrupt. PSA bid on CCA in the bankruptcy auction, but lost to a group composed of Allegheny Airlines and Southwest Airways (no relation to today's Southwest Airlines ) which shut CCA immediately, leaving PSA as the only intrastate competitor. In 1955, four Douglas DC-4s replaced the DC-3s, with PSA painting rectangles around

17272-513: Was not enough came in December 1968 with an audacious bid for Western Air Lines , then under attack by Kirk Kerkorian . Western was four times the revenue of PSA, and as an interstate carrier, regulated by the CAB. It was unclear how this would work, putting together two airlines with different regulators, whether CAB approval would be forthcoming. PSA pulled the bid in April 1969, citing deteriorating Western results. By that time, Kerkorian was, while not

17408-772: Was of long-standing. William Shimp, CEO and Chairman from 1976 to 1984, joined PSA in 1949. Paul Barkley, who succeeded Shimp, had been a C-suite officer at PSA since 1967. Notwithstanding the disastrous experience of the 1970s, management never lost its taste for diversification, diverting corporate attention from the airline. PSA, Inc.'s 1983 annual report noted energy subsidiaries involved in fuel supply and distribution and oil and gas exploration and production, as well as aviation-related subsidiaries providing engine maintenance, aircraft leasing and flight training. In 1984, following another poor year in 1983, PSA asked for wage givebacks from airline employees. Employees would reduce pay by 15% in exchange for 15% of pre-tax airline profits and

17544-495: Was open about the debt to PSA, saying "we don't mind being copycats of an operation like that", including hotpants. PSA hosted King and Muse for a four day visit in 1971 and gave them a copy of PSA's FAA operating manuals, from which Southwest created its own in what Muse said was "primarily a copy-and-paste procedure". PSA helping Southwest made sense in 1971, with each airline strictly limited to flying within its state and seemingly no prospect of that ever changing. Mutual admiration

17680-406: Was renamed Los Angeles International Airport in 1949. The temporary terminals remained in place for 15 years but quickly became inadequate, especially as air travel entered the " jet age " and other cities invested in modern facilities. Airport leaders once again convinced voters to back a $ 59 million bond on June 5, 1956. The current layout of the passenger facilities was established in 1958 with

17816-485: Was smaller than PSA in 1978 but well over twice its size in 1985. Piedmont also had an unbroken string of profits since deregulation. A July 1984 Los Angeles Times article noted PSA had been hanging fire since deregulation; management always waiting for some obstacle to clear. For instance, waiting to swap out the 727 fleet it had at deregulation (yet the abortive 1982/1983 Braniff deal would have doubled-down on 727s), which were too large and too fuel inefficient (given

17952-506: Was stuck paying a 15-year lease on the first two. It entered into years of litigation with Lockheed. By 1975, losses from diversification and L-1011s brought PSA to the brink of bankruptcy. Operating losses on rental cars, radio stations and hotels through 1974 (not including cost of acquisition) were almost $ 9M. Through 1977, PSA lost another $ 1M on discontinued businesses and recognized $ 18mm in L-1011 losses. In 1982, PSA took another $ 4.2M loss against its two L-1011s, still unable to find

18088-493: Was the last to open. A significant airport expansion came in the early 1980s, ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games . In November 1983 a second-level roadway was added, separating departing and arriving travelers; Terminal 1, which had been planned in the 1958 design, opened in January 1984; and the new Tom Bradley International Terminal opened in June 1984. Throughout the 1980s, the original terminals (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) were also rebuilt with connector buildings that transformed

18224-433: Was the year of the airline merger – Republic into Northwest , Ozark into TWA , Western into Delta Air Lines and others. In November, AirCal accepted an offer from American Airlines. On December 8, USAir announced an agreement to purchase PSA for $ 400mm. The combination had its skeptics: USAir’s pre-PSA California presence was 12 flights per day to Pittsburgh and Indianapolis so its brand awareness among Californians

18360-735: Was tumultuous, PSA achieving a high national profile. This was the era of hot-pant clad flight attendants on pink-liveried aircraft, a classic image of California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As discussed below, PSA became utterly dominant in the intra-California market, but also overreached to the point it almost went bankrupt. Less than a year later, PSA went public, with a February 14, 1963, initial public offering , 313,000 shares (100,000 of them primary ) at $ 19. Preparations had been underway for some time. PSA had an unusual corporate structure, with its aircraft owned through three companies owned by founders (Friedkin and others). In January 1962, these were merged into PSA. Prospectus facts that caught

18496-522: Was voted down in the relevant US House of Representatives subcommittee by one vote. Instead, deregulation as passed included strong Federal preemption – states had little say over an airline with a Federal certificate. By then, the CPUC had become the restrictive bureaucracy observers had predicted when it was given additional powers in 1965, second-guessing (in glacial and burdensome processes that could and did last for years) everything California intrastate carriers did, and even itself, as exemplified in

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