Mixed Results for Los Angeles County Airports in January

In January, the four airports serving Los Angeles County reported varying passenger totals. While Los Angeles International and Ontario International saw slight increases of 0. 8% and 3. 7% respectively, Hollywood Burbank and Long Beach experienced small drops of 1. 5% and 1. 4%.

Overall, over 6. 7 million passengers traveled through the four airports in January, marking a 0. 8% increase from the same month last year. This is the first time since December 2024 that these four airports have seen a year-over-year rise in cumulative passenger totals, albeit a small one.

The passenger counts in January of last year were affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires, leading some tourists to postpone trips or choose different destinations. This left room for improvement in this year’s January passenger numbers.

Ontario Takes the Lead, LAX Shows Improvement

In January, Ontario International saw the biggest increase in passenger traffic, rising by 3. 7% compared to the previous year. Interestingly, this growth was mainly driven by a 64% surge in international passengers from a smaller base the previous year. This offset a 2% decrease in domestic passenger traffic.

Atif Elkadi, Chief Executive of the Ontario International Airport Authority, stated that the January passenger levels were the highest since the airport’s return to local ownership in 2016.

Although the increase was more significant at Ontario, the 0. 8% rise at LAX may indicate a more significant change. This is because LAX’s monthly passenger totals have consistently declined year-over-year since December 2024, with the airport currently operating at 18% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Compared to other major airports in the country, LAX has struggled the most to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. While most other airports have already fully recovered or are close to doing so, LAX continues to face challenges.

Several factors may have contributed to the decline in passenger traffic at LAX, including the fires, the absence of a major airline hub, and a slowdown in the Asian travel market. However, in January, domestic passenger travel led the way with a 1. 4% increase, while international traffic saw a slight decline of 0. 4%.

Burbank and Long Beach See Decreases

In contrast, Hollywood Burbank and Long Beach airports both saw decreases in passenger traffic, with declines of over 1%. At Hollywood Burbank, the 1. 5% drop was due to the restructuring of two airlines and a gap in added flights from other airlines.

Spirit Airlines Inc.in Dania Beach, Florida, underwent bankruptcy and restructuring following a failed merger attempt with New York-based JetBlue Airways. This resulted in the sale of hundreds of planes and the elimination of numerous routes across the country. Additionally, Avelo Airlines Inc.