2.9 Million People Expected Through LAX During Holidays

About 2.9 million travelers are expected to pass through LAX during the 17- day holiday period that began last Saturday and ends Jan. 2, an increase from last year, airport officials said. The increase in passenger traffic at LAX is driven by a rise in international travel, said Harold Johnson of Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that oversees LAX.

The number of domestic flights are expected to be the same as last year, when about 2.8 million travelers passed through LAX, Johnson said. The airlines, airport staff and the Transportation Security Administration are prepared for the anticipated crowds at LAX, with properly staffed screening stations and luggage check-in areas, Johnson said.

LAX opened eight new passenger screening lanes this year to better deal with high-volume days. All available airport police and traffic officers will be on duty for crowd control, traffic management, crime prevention and parking enforcement, Johnson said. Airline travelers will see more random screenings and fewer items on prohibited lists for carry-on and checked baggages, the Transportation Security Administration announced recently.

Tools smaller than seven inches, butter knives without serrated edges, and blunt-tipped scissors smaller than four inches are now allowable on carry-on bags, according to the TSA. "Passengers will continue to walk through a metal detector and have their carry-on and checked baggage scanned," the agency said in a statement.