Long revered as a major gateway for Asia-related air traffi c, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is in hot pursuit for stepped up Asian business. Thanks to its West Coast location in one of the strongest markets in the United States, LAWA’s airport system is already tops for trans-Pacifi c traffi c, excluding Anchorage, which servesprimarily as a fuel stop.

Besides just reeling a carrier that will offer new service to Australia, LAWA offi cials are anxiously awaiting news from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) next month that would allow United Airlines to begin non-stop 747 service from LAXto Shanghai, China.

United Airlines fi led a petition with the DOT for the fl ight from LAX to Shanghai. Los Angeles is the largest US city without any service to China by a US carrier. Offi cials believe they have a good argument for the case. Almost 50 percent of all US-China traffi c originates in the western UntiedStates.

“Our strategy is very clear: propose service from the cities and regions of the country with the most pressing demand,” said Michael Whitaker, senior vice president, United Airlines. “Our proposal will meet regional demand for service in an area signifi cantly un-derserved.” United expects the DOT to approve the route this fall with serviceto begin in March 2009.

“We supported United in their proposal,” says Mark Thorpe, LAWA director of air service development. “We feel the service is a great opportunity and critical to us. For one, they want to operate a bigger plane on the service than the others.” This would open up more opportunities for cargo. Asia is a key market for cargo for theLos Angeles market.

Major carriers servicing LAX include Korean Air with its January- June 2006 volumes at 50,329 tonnes and January-June 2007 volumes at 53,627 tonnes; as well as Singapore Air Cargo with respective volumes at 38,418 tonnes and 32,333 tonnes; EVA Air, 36,001 tonnes and 33,199 tonnes; and China Airlines, 27,607 tonnes and27,814 tonnes.

LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) has played a minor role in cargo given that the only carrier currently handling international cargo there is UPS. Of that, only roughly 10 percent of its cargo is international. But Thorpe believes this will soon change. LAWA is close to reaching a lease agreement with an Asian logistics company and carrier that plans to take space at the Pacifi c Gateway Cargo Center, the 1,000,000-square foot facilitydeveloped by Aeroterm.

“It has been a long process, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he states. “This is going to be a great opportunity.” Going forward, LAWA plans to step up its effort to restore LAX to the dominate position it has held in the past for air carrier service in the Asia-Pacifi c region. “We will be marketing more aggressively to improve throughput,” he states. – Karen E. Thuermer