Passenger Numbers Decline at All Airports in Los Angeles County in November

Los Angeles County experienced a dip in passenger counts in November, with all four airports serving the area reporting a decrease. The most significant drop was seen at Hollywood Burbank Airport.

In total, 7. 1 million passengers traveled through Los Angeles International, Ontario International, Hollywood Burbank, and Long Beach airports in November. This was a 4. 4% decline from the same month in 2024, according to data provided by the operating authorities of each airport.

This decline was more significant than the 3. 4% drop seen in October but lower than the 5. 7% decrease reported in September. It also indicates that the passenger slump at all four airports is lasting longer than initially expected.

The November passenger decline was worsened by the federal government shutdown, which lasted until the second week of the month. This resulted in a shortage of air traffic controllers and delays at several airports. According to FlightAware, a site that tracks air travel, thousands of flights were canceled, including 2,400 flights on November 10 alone. As a result, many passengers chose not to fly at all.

Among the four airports, Hollywood Burbank was hit the hardest, with a 13% decrease in passengers compared to the same month in the previous year. An analysis of airline-by-airline passengers showed that the majority of this drop, nearly 61,000 passengers, was due to two airlines: Spirit Airlines Inc.and Avelo Airlines Inc.Both airlines have made significant cuts to their flights. Spirit Airlines declared bankruptcy for the second time last year, while Avelo Airlines announced the closure of its West Coast hub at Burbank.

The problem for Hollywood Burbank Airport was compounded by the lack of added flights to offset the reduction in flights by Spirit and Avelo.

However, there is good news for Hollywood Burbank Airport this year, as five airlines, namely Alaska Airlines Inc., Allegiant Air, Breeze Airways, Southwest Airlines Co. , and JetBlue, have announced the addition of 11 new flight routes over the next eight months.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles International Airport continued to struggle in November, with a 3. 8% decline in passengers compared to the same month in 2024. Domestic passenger counts were down by 5%, and international traffic saw a 1% decrease. As a result, the airport has fallen 15% short of its November 2019 tally, making it unique among other major airports across the nation, which have either surpassed or come close to pre-pandemic levels. One of the reasons for LAX’s struggle is the lack of a single major airline hub, unlike other airports such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (home to Delta Air Lines) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (home to United Airlines Inc.).