Foreign travellers shun LA airport

Los Angeles International Airport is lagging well behind other big city US airports in the contest to attract highly prized foreign travellers after a steep dip in international trips tied to the global recession. Large airports in California and most other regions of the country have surpassed their pre-slump foreign traffic numbers from 2005, sometimes dramatically so, according to passenger data examined by The Times. But LAX, which is spending billions to regain its footing as the premier international gateway on the West Coast, still has four per cent fewer international arrival and departures compared with its peak of nearly 17.5 million six years ago. Overall, LAX, the third busiest US airport, has the second-lowest recovery rate among the 10 US airports that handle the most international passengers. Only Chicago's O'Hare ranked lower. In first place was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, where the foreign travel volume soared 46 per cent. A number of factors have stalled a resurgence in foreign travel at LAX, airport officials and airline industry analysts say. Among them are the prolonged effects of the worst economic downturn since the Second World War, changing travel patterns and natural disasters overseas, most notably Japan's devastating earthquake. Article continues below A particular drag on Los Angeles' performance was the 2010 bankruptcy of Mexicana Airlines, LAX's largest international carrier. Experts also note that the terminal complex lacks a convenient transit system and that international passengers often encounter a tedious and time-consuming arrival process. Two straight years LAX officials acknowledge that they face significant challenges. But they point to two straight years of five per cent annual increases in foreign travel — a trend they believe will continue as marketing efforts proceed and new international facilities are completed by 2013. "I'm not that concerned about the figures. But I say that with reservations," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX. "We should not become complacent. It's very competitive out there. Everyone is scrambling for the international passenger." The reasons are simple maths. A single international flight travelling round-trip daily for a year from LAX generates $623 million (Dh2.2 billion) in business activity and supports 3,120 jobs in the region, according to a 2006 study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. Boosting foreign travel at LAX — and the accompanying airline and passenger fees — is also a critical part of the financing plan for the $1.5 billion renovation and expansion now underway at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The overhaul will eliminate remote gates where international passengers must exit planes on the tarmac and board buses to reach the customs and immigration station. Improvements The refurbished terminal, which is part of a $4.1 billion package of airport improvements, will feature upscale restaurants and retail stores. A new shuttle system also is planned to transport foreign travellers to connecting domestic flights. "All the right things are being done," said William C. Allen, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. "We will see more improvement in 2012 and 2013 as the economy gets better and the new Bradley terminal is opened. The trends are in our favour." Allen said the recession hit this region harder than other parts of the US served by international airports.