Source: LAX Airport

New international services and the strengthening Californian economy hoisted the number of travellers passing through Los Angeles International Airport up by 4.7 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year.

According to statistics released by the gateway to LA, up to 61.8 million passengers walked through its terminals last year up from 59 million in 2010.

The increase was credited to both domestic and international visitors, as 4.6 percent more local visitors compared to 2010 and 4.9 percent foreign traffic.

Despite the rise, Los Angeles World Airports executive director Gina Marie Lindsey explained passenger count still remains lower than pre-9/11 peaks.

“The increased passenger activity at LAX is attributable to several things:  new international service [Istanbul, Madrid, Tokyo/Haneda, and additional frequencies to Beijing, Shanghai and Dubai]; an improving Asian economy; and a modest, but perceptible strengthening of the Southern California economy,” Ms Marie Lindsey said.

“While LAX has not come close to seeing its pre-9/11 traffic of 67 million passengers, the 2010 activity demonstrates a stronger travel demand than we’ve seen in several years.”

Alongside the increasing number of visitors, aircraft activity also jumped by 4.8 percent last year compared to the previous year, with up to 603,912 aircraft movements up from 575,832.