US: This is why no airline will ever dominate LAX

American Airlines Group and Delta Air Lines are fighting to be the biggest airlines at Los Angeles International, the largest airport in one of the world’s most lucrative air travel markets. Earlier this month, American said it will build 2 gates at LAX to allow 20 new daily flights, bringing its total to 220 flights and 70 destinations. It comes after Delta celebrated the completion last summer of a US$229m renovation of LAX’s Terminal 5. Despite the terminal renovations and flight expansions, it’s unlikely that LAX will ever be a true “fortress hub” like Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, or Newark, NJ, in which a single airline can command as much as 75% of the traffic. For one thing, LAX isn’t the only game in town. It splits air traffic with 4 other airports within 55 miles, all with more than one airline offering service. <br/>