For Immediate Release
Dec. 15, 2022
Contact:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
(Los Angeles) More than 130 students from three local elementary schools got an early visit from the North Pole's most famous resident during the annual Santa Fly-In event at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Thursday morning.
"While Santa has a very busy schedule, we are very fortunate that he can find the time to fly down to LAX and bring warm greetings to these young students from our neighborhood schools," said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). "As LAX prepares for the holiday season ahead, the Santa Fly-In provides an opportunity for our airport to connect with the youngest students and make great memories in partnership with the community we serve."
Students, ranging from pre-kindergarten to first-grade, were treated to a show that included a performance from Kiddle Karoo, a demonstration by a Los Angeles Airport Police K-9 officer, and interactions with the airport therapy dogs from LAX's Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUPs) program.
But the star was Santa, who arrived outside the Flight Path Museum via one of the airport's Aircraft Rescue Firefighting trucks, operated by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Santa was escorted to the stage, and greeted the students. He then read the Clement Clarke Moore poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," better known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," before heading back to the firetruck and riding out for his holiday preparations.
Students attending Thursday's event represented Windsor Hills Math Science Aerospace Magnet and Brentwood Science Magnet, both from the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Oak Street Elementary from Inglewood. The event is one of dozens of community connections sponsored by Los Angeles World Airports each year.
LAX, the fourth-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX. LAX served more than 87.5 million passengers in 2018 and offers an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 109 cities in the U.S. and 1,281 weekly nonstop flights to 93 markets in 47 countries on 69 commercial airlines. LAX ranks 10th in the world in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.4 million tons of air cargo. LAX handled 707,883 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2018.
LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion; $966 million in state and local taxes; and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.
LAX was honored as having the “Best Overall Customer Service Program” by Airports Council International-North America; named the “Best Airport for Breastfeeding Moms” by Mamava; selected for the Top 10 “Best of the U.S.’s Big Airports” (Wall Street Journal) and “Most Pet-Friendly Airports in the U.S. (Mental Floss); named the second-most improved airport in the U.S. by JD Power; received an “Innovation Award” from the L.A. Better Business Challenge for its Central Utility Plant; and named a “Business Leader in Air Quality” by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
LAX is also the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
For more information about LAX, please visit www.flyLAX.com or follow on Twitter @flyLAXAirport, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport, and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
