Not Just LAX: A Look At The 5 Other Airports Serving Los Angeles (2024)

Los Angeles is home to one of the country's, and indeed the world's, busiest airports. Last year, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) processed more than 75 million passengers, making it the eighth-busiest airport in the world.

While LAX may grab most of the headlines, the area is also home to numerous other airports. Although these smaller facilities tend to have a much-reduced route network, they can offer several advantages to passengers, making their airport experience more convenient and enjoyable. What are the other airports in the Los Angeles area?

5 John Wayne Airport (SNA)

11.7 million passengers

Located in Orange County, John Wayne Airport is the second-largest airport in the region, processing 11.7 million passengers in 2023. The airport's handy location close to several of the area's popular tourist attractions, including the Disneyland Resort, makes it a popular choice for visitors.

Southwest Airlines has the largest presence at the airport, with a 30% market share, followed by American Airlines (17%) and United Airlines (15%). The airport's route network covers much of the West Coast, in addition to some longer domestic routes, such as Newark (EWR) and Chicago (ORD), and a handful of international destinations, including Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Vancouver (YVR). Last year, the busiest routes from John Wayne Airport were:

• Phoenix (PHX) - 536,000 passengers
• Las Vegas (LAS) - 523,000 passengers
• Seattle (SEA) - 488,000 passengers.

4 Ontario International Airport (ONT)

6.4 million passengers

Ontario International Airport is the third-largest airport in the area, having processed 6.4 million passengers last year. The airport is located in Ontario, San Bernardino County, approximately 38 miles (61 km) east of downtown Los Angeles.

Ontario International Airport has an extensive route network that includes New York (JFK), San Salvador (SAL), and Honolulu (HNL). It is also the only entry in this list to include a long-haul route in its network. China Airlines flies to the airport from its hub at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) daily with a mix of Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Photo: Kelex Pictures | Shutterstock

Southwest Airlines has the largest presence at Ontario International Airport, and last year, the facility's three busiest routes were:

• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) - 387,000 passengers
• Denver (DEN) - 359,000 passengers
• Phoenix (PHX) - 313,000 passengers.

3 Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

6.0 million passengers

Hollywood Burbank Airport is located to the north of downtown Los Angeles, and last year handled just over 6 million passengers, passing its pre-pandemic peak of 5.9 million. The airport has two terminals (Terminal A and Terminal B), and is currently undergoing an expansion project, with a replacement terminal under construction and due to open in October 2026.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

By far the largest airline at Hollywood Burbank Airport is Southwest Airlines, with a massive 63% market share. Alaska Airlines (10%) is the second-largest, followed by SkyWest Airlines (6%). Last year, the most popular destinations from the airport were:

• Las Vegas (LAS) - 432,000 passengers
• Phoenix (PHX) - 335,000 passengers
• Oakland (OAK) - 271,000 passengers.

2 Long Beach Airport (LGB)

3.7 million passengers

Located to the south of downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach Airport connects the area to destinations across the US, as far east as Orlando (MCO), as far north as Portland (PDX), and as far west as Honolulu (HNL).

Photo:Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

JetBlue previously had a base at the airport, before moving to Los Angeles International Airport. Following JetBlue's departure, Southwest Airlines now represents over 84% of all activity at Long Beach Airport. The three most popular routes last year were:

• Las Vegas (LAS) - 228,000 passengers
• Sacramento (SMF) - 181,000 passengers
• Oakland (OAK) - 166,000 passengers.

1 San Bernardino International Airport (SBD)

20,000 passengers

Located two miles (3.2 km) southeast of downtown San Bernardino, the smallest commercial airport in the Los Angeles area is built on the site of the former San Bernardino Municipal Airport, which acted as San Bernardino Air Depot during World War Two.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

Today, although its runway is capable of handling aircraft as large as the Boeing 747 or Airbus A380, San Bernardino International Airport currently has just one scheduled passenger service, courtesy of Breeze Airways' flights to San Francisco (SFO). Despite its lack of commercial services, the airport plays host to several cargo airlines, including:

• Amazon Air
• FedEx Express
• UPS Airlines.

By way of contrast, Los Angeles International Airport welcomed more than 75 million passengers in 2023. However, this impressive figure was still some way behind the facility's pre-pandemic peak of 88 million. The US Big 3 dominate operations at LAX, with Delta Air Lines holding a 19.8% market share, followed by American Airlines (14.9%) and United Airlines (14.8%). The airport's busiest domestic routes were New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), and Las Vegas (LAS).

The airport also has an extensive international route network, stretching across Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, and Europe. The busiest international routes last year were:

• London Heathrow (LHR) - 1.5 million passengers
• Guadalajara (GDL) - 1.0 million passengers
• Seoul Incheon (ICN) - 977,000 passengers.