United To Ramp Up Flights Out Of LAX In August

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Despite the spike in coronavirus cases, United Airlines announced Wednesday that in August it will begin tripling the number of flights it offers.

A view of baggage claim at the United Airlines terminal at LAX on April 16, 2020. (Getty Images)

The carrier Wednesday reported that it will add 25,000 domestic and international flights in August compared to its June schedule.

The airline reported that it averaged only 20 flight per day out of Los Angeles International Airport in June. That will increase to 60 flights per day in August.

While the increase seems drastic, United said that the number of August flights will still only be just 40% of what it was in August of 2019.

“Domestic and international travel demand is slowly but steadily increasing and our schedule is designed to match that demand,” Alberto Diaz, Director, LAX Hub.

This comes on the heels of news Tuesday that New York state will require all travelers from California to quarantine for 14 days due to the recent surge in cases statewide.

Furthermore, the European Union began reopening its borders this week. However,  the United States was not included on its list of safe countries whom the EU should accept travelers from.

LAX saw its passenger traffic plummet by 85% when the coronavirus pandemic hit in mid-March. Last month, the airport reported it could see a revenue loss of up to $315 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Through Tuesday, L.A. County has recorded 103,529 coronavirus cases and 3,369 deaths from the disease.