[12] LAX serves as a hub, focus city, or operating base for more passenger airlines than any other airport in the United States.

Several locations were considered, but the final choice was a 640-acre (1.00 sq mi; 260 ha) field in the southern part of Westchester.

The building still stands at the airport, remaining in active use and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[16] Over the next year, the airport started to come together: the dirt runway was replaced with an all-weather surface and more hangars, a restaurant, and a control tower were built.

[14] The airport was used by private pilots and flying schools, but the city’s vision was that Los Angeles would become the main passenger hub for the area.

Before the United States entered the war, the aviation manufacturers located around the airport were busy providing aircraft for the Allied powers, while the flying schools found themselves in high demand.

In January 1942, the military assumed control of the airport, stationing fighter planes there, and building naval gun batteries in the ocean dunes to the west.

[17] The temporary terminals remained in place for 15 years but quickly became inadequate, especially as air travel entered the "jet age" and other cities invested in modern facilities.

The original plan called for the terminal buildings to be connected at the center of the property by a huge steel-and-glass dome.

The dome was never built, but a smaller Theme Building, constructed in the central area, became a focal point for people coming to the airport.

Since 1972, Los Angeles World Airports has adopted a "Preferential Runway Use Policy" to minimize noise levels in the communities closest to LAX.

[33] There were plans to increase the separation by 260 feet (79 m), which would have allowed a central taxiway between runways to have been built, but faced opposition from residents living north of LAX.

[35] The distinctive Theme Building in the Googie style was built in 1961 and resembles a flying saucer that has landed on its four legs.

A $4 million renovation, with retro-futuristic interior and electric lighting designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, was completed before the Encounter Restaurant opened there in 1997 but is no longer in business.

[38] Visitors are able to take the elevator up to the observation deck of the "Theme Building", which had previously been closed after the September 11, 2001 attacks for security reasons.

[39] A memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks is located on the grounds, as three of the four hijacked planes were originally destined for LAX.

LAX Shuttle route A operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers.

LAX operates several shuttle routes to connect passengers and employees around the airport area:[279] Route A – Terminal Connector operates in a counter-clockwise loop around the Central Terminal Area, providing frequent service for connecting passengers.

LAX Shuttle route G offers free connections between the Central Terminal Area and the Aviation/LAX station on the C Line, 2.4 miles (3.9 km) away.

The LAX Automated People Mover (APM), currently under construction by LAWA, is a 2.25 miles (3.62 km) rail line that will connect the terminal area with long- and short-term parking facilities, a connection to the Los Angeles Metro Rail and other transit at the LAX/Metro Transit Center, and a consolidated facility for all airport rental car agencies.

[281][282] The APM project is estimated to cost $5.5 billion and is scheduled to begin operation in 2025,[283][284][285][286] with the connection to Metro Rail opening thereafter.

Arriving passengers take a shuttle or walk to the LAXit waiting area east of Terminal 1 for taxi or ride-share pickups.

The center contains information on the history of aviation, several pictures of the airport, as well as aircraft scale models, flight attendant uniforms, and general airline memorabilia such as playing cards, china, magazines, signs, and a TWA gate information sign.

[301] The museum has on display "The Spirit of Seventy-Six," a DC-3 that flew in commercial airline service, before serving as a corporate aircraft for Union 76 Oil Company for 32 years.

During its history there have been numerous incidents, but only the most notable are summarized below:[303] The "Imperial Hill" area of El Segundo is a prime location for aircraft spotting, especially for takeoffs.

Another popular spotting location sits under the final approach for runways 24 L&R on a lawn next to the Westchester In-N-Out Burger on Sepulveda Boulevard.

This is one of the few remaining locations in Southern California from which spotters may watch such a wide variety of low-flying commercial airliners from directly underneath a flight path.

It was quickly taken off the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, and was moved to a United Airlines hangar.