LAX Passenger Traffic Continued Decline in 2024

The main air travel hub in Los Angeles has seen a general decline in passenger traffic for more than a decade.

Passenger jets utilize runway space at LAX airport in Los Angeles on Nov. 21, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues to see a decline in passengers.

The Airports Council International (ACI) World released its preliminary 2024 rankings of the world’s busiest airports. While some airports are showing resilience in the face of global challenges, others, including LAX, have not navigated the geopolitical challenges so smoothly.

LAX failed to rank in the top 10 for passengers, international passengers, and cargo. It did, however, rank in the top 10 for takeoffs and landings. Although it was number 7 on the list, the ranking still represents a steep drop from the 4th spot it achieved in 2019, when it ranked as the third busiest airport for total passengers.

Domestic arrivals fell by more than 8.63 percent compared to January 2024. Although international arrivals increased by more than 3.81 percent, that increase comes after a considerable drop experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, mail cargo seen at the airport in February 2025 had fallen by nearly 11 percent versus the year prior, while freight fell by 11.21 percent, according to the most recent numbers by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).

From January 2014 to December 2014, LAX served 70,662,212 passengers on all carriers. In 2024, it saw just over half of that number, 37,107,930.

The nonprofit Visit California, which receives public funds, has also tracked LAX’s decline in traffic. The public entity cites wildfire-related disruptions as a big reason for a 3 percent decline seen at LAX year-over-year between 2024 and 2025, though this explanation does not account for a trend going back at least a decade.

In January, passenger traffic across California’s top airports was 15.7 million, 78 percent of which were domestic passengers. The public entity reported an overall decline in enplanements and deplanements in California of 0.2 percent year over year compared with the previous year.

California airports other than LAX, meanwhile, have seen growth. Visit California data shows that San Francisco International Airport (SFO) recorded the highest growth in the state with an 11.3 percent increase over the prior year, while San Diego International Airport (SAN) recorded a 4.8 percent increase and Ontario International Airport (ONT)  a 1.2 percent increase.

The biggest year-over-year drops were seen at Oakland (OAK), which saw an 18.9 percent decrease in passenger traffic, San Jose (SJC), which had a 9.5 percent decrease, and Long Beach (LGB), with an 8 percent decrease.

According to ACI, global total passenger traffic in 2024 increased by 9 percent from 2023. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remained in the top position. Shanghai Pudong International Airport saw the biggest jump, going from the 21st position in 2023 to the 10th spot in 2024.

“The jump was fueled by expanded visa policies, the resumption and expansion of international flights, operational enhancements, and the recovery of the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China,” ACI said.

Global passenger traffic is projected to reach 9.9 billion in 2025—a 4.8 percent year-over-year growth.