14 Dec Exclusive LAX Tour and Program Recap
VITA hosted an exclusive tour and program at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 9, 2018. The event began at the LAX Flight Path Museum and Learning Center with a program including a presentation on Capital Improvement Project updates by Diego Alvarez, Director of Planning of Los Angeles World Airports.
Ramon Olivares, Director of Properties with Los Angeles World Airports also presented on cargo and shared that LAX is the major international cargo airport serving Southern California; the world’s eleventh largest economy. Asia-Pacific is Los Angeles’ top regional trading partner with 582,283 tons annually valued at $45.2 billion. Europe is second with 166,190 tons valued at $13.7 billion annually.
The most exported air commodity in terms of tonnage from LAX is vegetables, fruit and nuts with 15.1 percent of the total weight. Other leading exports are base metals and articles thereof; computer equipment; photo, science and medical instruments; paper and pulp products; chemical products; plastics and articles thereof; prepared foodstuffs; special classification provisions; and aircraft products.
Apparel is the leading imported air cargo commodity, followed by computer equipment, audio and video media, fish, office machinery, textiles, footwear, vehicles other than railway, photo, science and medical instruments and electronic components.
Guests then took a bus tour of the airfield by John Peery, COO and Executive Vice President of Mercury Air Cargo, Inc.