"Los Angeles and Ontario Airports Continue Rebound in Passenger and Cargo Volumes"

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Los Angeles and Ontario Airports Continue Rebound in Passenger and Cargo
Volumes - LAX Passenger Volume Soars 15.8 Percent, ONT Up Six Percent
Over last year
Press Release


LOS ANGELES, (PRIMEZONE) -- Passenger traffic at Los Angeles
International Airport (LAX) in May soared 15.8 percent to 5,112,445
passengers compared with the same month in 2003, Los Angeles World
Airports (LAWA) officials reported today. The increase was driven by a
27 percent jump in international traffic, while domestic traffic was up
12.2 percent. For the first five months of 2004, LAX passenger traffic
totaled 23,804,448 -- up 11 percent compared with the same period a year
ago. 

At Ontario International Airport (ONT), passenger traffic in May reached
597,053 -- up six percent compared with May 2003. Year to date (January
through May), ONT's passenger traffic totaled 2,771,213 -- up 6.4
percent compared with the same period in 2003. 

"Passenger traffic at LAWA airports continued its strong rebound in
May," said Kim Day, LAWA's interim executive director. "We are now in
the midst of the busiest travel period since the record-breaking summer
of 2001. The impressive gains we are seeing in both domestic and
international travel this summer should bode well for the Southern
California economy." 

LAX expects to serve about 60 million passengers in 2004, compared with
54.8 million in 2003. The peak travel year was 2000, when 67 million
passengers used LAX. ONT is expected to serve about seven million
passengers this year, which would surpass the previous record of 6.7
million set in 2000. 

Since the current LAX facilities were designed to accommodate 40 million
annual passengers, the heavy passenger volumes this summer are resulting
in crowded passenger terminals at peak times. Roadway congestion in and
around LAX is also a factor that travelers need to take into account
when planning their trips to the airport. ONT's facilities were designed
to accommodate 10 million annual passengers. 

Air cargo (freight and mail) volume at LAX in May was 175,996 tons -- up
5.7 percent over May last year. For the first five months of this year,
air cargo at LAX rose to 834,328 tons -- three percent higher than the
same period last year.

Air cargo (freight and mail) volume at ONT in May was 45,963 tons -- 0.5
percent less than May last year. However, year-to-date air cargo volume
at ONT is 253,026 tons -- 12.5 percent higher than the same period last
year.


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