What Does The X In LAX Stand For? (Explained!)

The design of the letter X does not stand for anything but is simply a piece of its creators’ art. The logo was born following the airport code LAX to address the ambiguity that could arise from both airport words (i.e. Lax, lax) and also from the similarity to other codes in the metro area such as Santa Monica or San Diego airports.

Key Takeaways

• Los Angeles International Airport or LAX Airport handles over 67 million passengers every year
• LAX Airport ranked 2nd among all the airports based on annual traffic
• X has no universal meaning on the logo of Los Angeles International Airport
• LAX is an abbreviation for Los Angeles International Airport

What is the meaning of the letter X?

Initially, the letter ‘X’ was used only as a placeholder when referring to the airport code for Los Angeles International Airport. However, in today’s aviation industry there are so many different identifying codes that airports use with three letters and each one of them relates to something very specific. For example, LA represents Los Angeles and the word ‘international’ is an identifier that denotes whether or not the particular airport offers international travel. X has no meaning and is simply a place hold tag.

Why is X used in Los Angeles International Airport?

X has no universal meaning and is a filler letter to indicate when there are no letters available. This can be seen in Los Angeles International Airport where they used LAX instead of Lax, or Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor where the Department of Transportation uses LBX.

Why do they call it LAX airport?

Back in the 1930’s, airports used two letter codes instead of current three letter IATA codes. Back then, airports depended on weather stations to provide reports and broadcast them through coded messages. The weather station code assigned to Los Angeles International Airport was L.A.. As the aviation industry expanded, it became apparent that a bigger system was needed to keep up with this growth and ultimately the best option available was the extended three letter A-C-E code system devised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Today’s airport designations are more specifically referred to as “airport codes” which gives every airport in the world a unique three or four letter designated identifier. For example, LAX Airport became LAX Code “007”.

What was the original name of LAX?

The airport was originally named Mines Field, but the military took over control of its operation in 1941. In 1946, Los Angeles International was renamed Douglas Airport, after Col. Hugh M. Kendall (USAF) and Donald Douglas (founder of the manufacturer), and the City of Los Angeles bought all private interests three years later. The airport began an expansion project which eventually included six runways, passenger terminals, two parking structures and a general aviation complex that were completed by 1958.

Between 1935 and 1940, American Airlines had arrived at what was then known as ‘Mines Field’ via Lockheed L-10 Electras for all of its domestic flights to New York or connections through the airport’s Daugherty Terminal – though a year before that fare wars had broken out between them and United Airlines who could cut their costs dramatically because they used only Douglas DC-2 aircraft from nearby Grand Central Airport in Glendale!

What is LAX short for?

LAX is an abbreviation for Los Angeles International Airport. This is short for the airport’s three-letter IATA code but alternatives may exist – the term “LAX” could refer to the international airport (or its code) in other places such as Tijuana or Chile, say. There are various interpretations of exactly what this name stands for though it’s most commonly referred to as a reference to the international airport in Los Angeles and not anywhere else in the world.

Why do US airports start with K?

The letter K was simply used for the sake of convenience when it came to using a set of unique identifiers for United States flights. This made things easier when trying to create an international airline ticketing system that would easily be understood in one-hundred and seventy different countries around the world, as opposed to having different flight numbers depending on where you live in the US.

Is LAX the biggest airport in the world?

The LAX airport serves over 4 million passengers every year. It is the second largest airport in the U.S. and only airport in the world that all three of its airline hubs have decided to use for their operations. Although it does not have a full-service restaurant, there are several dining options available on site as well as several duty free and retail shops.

Final Words

We’ve come to the end of this informative article. We hope you were able to find good and reliable resources in your quest to know what X stands for in LAX. If you have any questions or comments relating to this article, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks!

References:

https://www.ocregister.com/2008/04/28/what-does-the-x-in-lax-stand-for-408/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_International_Airport

Last Updated on November 8, 2022 by Magalie D.