Trump has begun another trade war. Here's a timeline of how we got here
Canada's leader laments lost friendship with US in town that sheltered stranded Americans after 9/11
Chinese EV giant BYD's fourth-quarter profit leaps 73%
You're an American in another land? Prepare to talk about the why and how of Trump 2.0
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
Purdue returns to Sweet 16 with 76-62 win over McNeese in March Madness
With the 2028 Summer Olympics looming, Los Angeles officials are sounding warnings over persistent, lengthy customs delays at L.A. International Airport. Recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show LAX ranked second among major U.S. airports last summer for international traveler wait times, behind only Chicago O’Hare—raising fresh concerns about infrastructure constraints ahead of the world-class event.
International arrivals at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal reached historic levels last summer, with CBP recording an average of 550 foreign arrivals per hour, the nation’s highest. That volume, coupled with limited processing capacity, placed severe strain on CBP operations and led to frequent bottlenecks.
From June through August 2024, LAX arrivals averaged more than 30 minutes in line. During peak periods such as Labor Day weekend, noncitizen travelers faced wait times of 113 minutes on average, with instances of up to 245 minutes—more than four hours—for a single traveler. The situation was similar for U.S. citizens, who endured waits of nearly 75 minutes, with maximum waits reaching 205 minutes—almost three and a half hours.
In July 2024, social media users posted videos showing long customs lines at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal, including one captioned “everyone back from their hot euro summer” and another questioning how the airport could be ready for the 2028 Olympics.
CBP spokesperson Jaime Ruiz attributed delays to a surge in international travel and uneven arrival patterns. “Post‑COVID, we have seen exponential growth,” Ruiz said. “There have been more flights, more travelers.” He emphasized that overlapping long‑haul flights and weather disruptions continue to affect processing times on any given day. “Wait time is kind of a moving target. It’s a day-to-day situation,” Ruiz said.
L.A. World Airports, the agency that oversees LAX, says it is collaborating with CBP and the Transportation Security Administration to enhance queue management, staffing levels, and signage. Infrastructure upgrades underway include the installation of advanced biometric kiosks and the implementation of Mobile Passport Control, aimed at reducing dwell times at customs checkpoints ahead of the Olympic influx.
LAWA has also accelerated broader capital projects under its Landside Access Modernization Program. The Automated People Mover—scheduled to open in January 2026—is set to revolutionize terminal access, enabling more efficient landside-to-airside movement for passengers.
April 2025 data from L.A. World Airports show a nearly 4% year-over-year increase in international arrivals. Infrastructure and technology upgrades are ongoing, including $43 million allocated for terminal renumbering and wayfinding, ahead of the expected surge in traffic for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
CBP’s Border Wait Times app offers real-time updates, enabling travelers to time their entries during off-peak hours. CBP also advises international travelers to avoid arrivals between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.—the hours when most trans-Pacific and transatlantic flights land and wait times peak.
