Passenger traffic at major Southern California airports fell year over year in September 2024, marking the first decline since 2021, when the pandemic’s early effects were still present. The Southern California airport passenger decline affected all four major Los Angeles County airports: LAX, Ontario, Hollywood Burbank, and Long Beach.
According to the LA Business Journal, the four airports handled a combined 7.25 million passengers, a 5.7% decrease from the previous year. LAX led the downturn with 5.81 million passengers, a 6.4% decline. Domestic travel fell 7%, while international traffic dropped 5.2%, indicating softened demand across the board.
Industry analysts noted that LAX is not a hub for any single airline, making its route network less efficient. They added that long-term construction has created inconvenience, contributing to a steady drop in passengers.
The slowdown extended to Ontario International Airport (ONT), which had posted uninterrupted growth since the pandemic. September traffic totaled 599,000, down 1.1% from 606,000 a year earlier.
Atif Elkadi, CEO of the Ontario International Airport Authority (ONA), said the dip marked only a temporary pause in what had been 54 consecutive months of growth and emphasized that regional demand remains strong.
Long Beach Airport recorded 315,000 passengers, a 2.7% drop. This represented an improvement from earlier months, when declines hovered near 10%. Its largest carrier, Southwest Airlines, faced aircraft shortages and introduced a baggage fee policy that made it difficult to avoid a decline in passenger volume.
Hollywood Burbank Airport handled 524,000 travelers, down 3.7% from the previous year.
Cargo activity also softened. Combined cargo across the four airports totaled 253,000 tons, a 4% year-over-year decrease.
Trends diverged at the two major cargo hubs, with LAX handling 184,000 tons, down 6%, while Ontario processed 65,000 tons, up 1%.
Analysts said LAX’s reduction appears to reflect slowing global trade, including impacts from the U.S.–China tariff dispute. Ontario’s increase was driven by UPS, which secured a major U.S. Postal Service (USPS) airmail contract, pushing airmail volume up 38% year over year in September.
Experts cautioned that the prolonged federal government shutdown has contributed to rising sick leave among air-traffic controllers and reductions in flight schedules. They warned that if the passenger decline at LAX and Ontario deepens further, the resulting slowdown could have significant economic effects on tourism, retail, and service industries across Southern California.
BY EUNYOUNG LEE
lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com
