GETTING THERE Building L.A.’s Transportation Network

As Southern California becomes more populous, getting travelers from here to there becomes more important. Of the 15 airports in Los Angeles County, only a few offer regularly scheduled passenger service. Here are some facts and figures on the three largest airports offering such service. LAX

Began offering passenger service in 1946, and was formerly known as Mines Field.

Ranked third in the world last year for overall annual passenger count. The airport with the largest number of goings and comings is Chicago’s O’Hare International.

Played host to 44,967,221 passengers in 1989, 44,398,611 in 1988 and 44,873,113 in 1987.

Topped the 1989 list of U.S. airports in terms of the number of origination and destination flight passengers (as opposed to those just changing planes).

* On a typical day, handles 123,000 passengers.

Was arrival point for 9.9 million visitors (tourists and those here on business) in 1987. A typical visitor’s stay lasted 6.2 days and he or she spent an average of $87.74 per day, bringing to the local economy $4.7 billion for the year.

Burbank

Began offering both passenger and cargo service in 1930; formerly called Lockheed Air Terminal.

* Hit an all-time high for passenger traffic last August, when the airport handled 390,344 passengers.

Has an average daily passenger count this year of about 11,600.

In 1989 had 2,717,626 passengers, down from 3,043,179 in 1988 and 3,167,190 in 1987.

Stretches out over 450 acres, compared with 234 acres in 1938.

* Longest runway extends 6,902 feet (compared with 3,600 feet in 1930.) The shortest runway is 6,074 feet.

Long Beach

* Opened in 1923. Western Airlines ushered in the passenger-service era when it began service to Long Beach in mid-1940s.

On the average, serves roughly 4,500 passengers each day.

Served 1,378,822 passengers last year, an increase from the 1988 tally of 1,170,039 and the 1987 level of 1,206,570.

Encompasses 1,166 acres, a substantial leap from its size of 150 acres on opening day.

The longest runway stretches 10,000 feet, compared with about 4,000 feet when the airport opened.

SOURCES: Los Angeles International Airport; Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport; Airport Bureau, Long Beach Airport.