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More People Are Flying In And Out Of LAX This Month, Despite CA Travel Advisory
A traveler wears a face mask while checking their phone on the arrivals level outside the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)
Los Angeles International Airport has seen a noticeable increase in travelers over the last two weeks.
In February, passenger traffic was about 30% of what it was last year. But in March, that stat increased has increased to about 44%.
Heath Montgomery with LAX says that translates to about 35,000 people going through TSA checkpoints each day. And airport officials expect those numbers to keep climbing:
"We know the airlines have added additional flight capacity for the spring and for the summer. And I think generally the expectation around the country is that as you see a lot of those [state and county] restrictions begin to relax, and more people having access to vaccinations, we will see a pretty steady return to air travel through the rest of this year."
The city of L.A. also requires everyone to fill out a travel form when they land at LAX.
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There is also still a statewide travel advisory in effect asking Californians to avoid non-essential travel and stay within 120 miles of their homes. Again, whether or not people are following that advisory? Unclear.
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