OREANDA-NEWS. January 31, 2014. Airport officials t announced record international passenger volume at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for 2013.  Year-end statistics show LAX airlines served 17,852,110 international passengers in 2013, eclipsing the previous high of 17,486,263 in 2005. 

The 2013 international level was 4.1 percent higher than the 17,152,914 passengers in 2012.  International passengers represented 26.7 percent of LAX’s total passenger volume, which grew 4.7 percent in 2013 to 66,667,619 passengers from 63,688,121 in 2012.  Domestic passenger volume in 2013 grew 4.9 percent to 48,815,509 from 46,535,207 in 2012. 

Total air cargo (mail and freight) processed at LAX during 2013 was 1,926,050 tons, a decline of 1.5 percent from 1,955,593 tons in 2012.  Freight (goods) dropped 0.9 percent in 2013 to 1,848,764 tons from 1,867,155 in 2012.  Air mail also declined 12.6 percent in 2013 to 77,286 tons from 88,438 in 2012. 

The number of aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs) increased 1.6 percent to 614,917 in 2013 from 605,480 in 2012.

“The record international passenger activity at LAX is attributable to an improving worldwide economy, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, and to a modest strengthening of the Southern California economy,” said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the Los Angeles City department that owns and operates LAX and two other Southern California airports.  “In addition, U.S. and overseas airlines are starting or expanding international service at LAX as a result of our on-going, multi-billion-dollar LAX Modernization Program, which is   

complemented by major airlines investing hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate their respective domestic terminals.”