LOS ANGELES — At the baggage carousels at Los Angeles International Airport on a recent Sunday afternoon, rumpled travelers jockeyed for position to claim luggage and roll it out into the California sunshine.
Over Memorial Day weekend, airport authorities expected 200,000 daily passengers at LAX. The number of departing passengers reaching 100,000 on Sunday alone in what they described as a major travel milestone since the pandemic virtually halted it in 2020.
Several weeks earlier, the final concrete supports had been poured for the 2.25-mile elevated “people mover” airport rail system intended to convey passengers from terminals to car rental facilities and the metro line heading downtown. The $2 billion project, which will ease wait times for rental shuttles and eliminate the need for cab rides to some sections of the city, is slated for completion next year.
