Nonstop flights mostly serve cities in the western United States, though Delta Air Lines has regular routes to Atlanta.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a medium-hub primary commercial service facility.

UA&T had the benefit of surveys that the Aeronautics Department of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce had conducted starting in 1926 to identify potential airport sites.

[13] United Airport was dedicated amid much festivity (including an air show) on Memorial Day weekend (May 30 – June 1), 1930.

The name change came the same year that Federal anti-trust actions caused United Aircraft and Transport to dissolve, which took effect September 26, 1934.

[14] Airline flights continued even while Lockheed's extensive factories supplied the war effort and developed military and civil aircraft into the mid-1960s.

The April 1957 OAG lists nine weekday departures on Western, six on United, six on Pacific Air Lines, one on TWA and one on American Airlines (a nonstop to Chicago Midway Airport).

[17] Jets arrived at Burbank in the late 1960s: Pacific Air Lines flew Boeing 727-100s nonstop to Las Vegas and San Francisco and one-stop to Eureka/Arcata.

Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) flew 727s to the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego, and Hughes Airwest (previously Air West) flew Douglas DC-9-10s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s nonstop to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Denver with one-stop DC-9s to Houston Hobby Airport.

In 1970 Continental Airlines began Boeing 727-200 flights to Portland and Seattle via San Jose and also flew the short hop to Ontario.

[18] Aloha Airlines pioneered nonstop jet service from BUR to Hawaii, flying Boeing 737-700s to Honolulu before ending all passenger operations.

A 1973 decision by the United States Supreme Court in City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal, Inc. overturned an airport curfew imposed by the city of Burbank on flights between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am under the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause on the grounds that airports were subject to federal oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration and under the terms of the Noise Control Act of 1972.

[23] Flight paths of aircraft departing Hollywood Burbank Airport changed as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's airspace modernization program called NextGen.

An independent analysis confirmed in October 2018 that "a connection was found between the [NextGen] implementation and the increase in the number of flights over areas south of the 101 Freeway.".

[citation needed] Such a claim is consistent with the airport's continued inaction to address these issues, despite repeated pleas for relief and solutions from local communities and elected officials from every level of government.

[34] As part of the noise study, the airport is also establishing a 12-member Citizen's Advisory Committee, which will include a majority of representatives from non-impacted areas: 3 members respectively from the airport owner cities of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena (9 total), and 1 member, respectively, from each of Los Angeles Council Districts 2, 4, and 6 (3 total).

[35] After having taken almost 4 years to form the Citizens Advisory Committee,(See page 36) commissioners voted on March 18, 2024 to remove Los Angeles representatives from the citizen-run board."

The new terminal was required to keep the same number of gates (14) but will be significantly larger at 355,000 square feet (33,000 m2) allowing for more restrooms, additional restaurant and concession space, improved security screening areas, and other enhanced passenger amenities.

The replacement terminal will meet newer seismic standards and be farther from the runway as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

[39] In July 2021, the City of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against the FAA alleging deficiencies in the environmental review process for the proposed replacement passenger terminal at the Hollywood Burbank Airport.

[42] The California High-Speed Rail Authority plans to have tracks running through and beneath the airport's property, with a new underground station to be built adjacent to the proposed replacement passenger terminal.

In the year ending February 28, 2023, the airport had 151,916 operations, average 416 per day: 45% scheduled commercial, 36% general aviation 19% air taxi, and <1% military.

[46] Burbank was the first airport in the US to operate state-of-the-art Class 4 ARFF vehicles employing compressed air foam (CAF) technologies, which provide enhanced firefighting capabilities when paired with other tools like forward looking infrared (FLIR) and thermal imaging cameras (TICs).

Twice daily Amtrak Thruway bus service on Empire Avenue across from the Burbank Airport–South station provides transportation to Santa Monica, UCLA, Van Nuys, Newhall, and Bakersfield.

The Antelope Valley Line stops at the Burbank Airport–North station located about one mile north of the terminal near the intersection of San Fernando Boulevard and Hollywood Way.