Expert: D. Norkus - 1/22/2007

Question
Why is it that airplanes arriving at LAX International land west to east?  

Answer
Generally, the winds favor using those runways (24L & 24R, 25R, 25L is closed) as the wind most often comes off the water and it is preferrable to land into the wind. However, it is also for the flow of air traffic. During the day, when traffic volumes are up, the numerous domestic arrivals from the east make a straight in approach to the airport, while the fewer trans-pacific or coastal flights make a pattern to join the western flow of those arrivals.

Once the wind changes and picks up beyond 10 knots, which is the limiting tailwind component of many aircraft, they then turn the airport around landing eastbound. This most often happens during a strong Santa Ana in the LA basin.

Very early in the morning, if the wind is calm or near calm and there is little air traffic, planes inbound from the west will land straight in to the east on the north runway complex to expedite arrivals while early departures will use the south runway complex and depart westbound. This is usually stopped after about 6:15 am or so. This morning I landed to the east on 6R (the recipricol runway of 24L). The winds were light and from the east yet after 6:30am, runway 24L & 24R were back in use.

You can go to http://www.flightaware.com and see pictures of the flight path and arrival patterns at LAX. Check out the ones early in the AM and you will find the easterly landings.