Frequent fliers, beware. Los Angeles International Airport will soon ban ride-hailing companies from picking up passengers outside its terminals, LAX officials said Thursday.
Starting on or about Oct. 29, travelers looking to hop on an Uber or Lyft will be taken by shuttle to a parking lot next to Terminal 1, where they can book their rides, said Keith Wilschetz, deputy executive director of the Operations and Emergency Management Division at Los Angeles World Airports. Drop-offs at terminals will still be allowed.
The decision is in response to worsening congestion at the airport, which is undergoing a $14-billion overhaul of its aging road network and terminals. In recent months, construction has often required LAX to close some lanes. And because airlines have been adding routes, more people are coming to the airport in general, Wilschetz said. Passenger volume increased from 63.7 million in 2012 to 87.5 million in 2018, according to LAX officials.