Tom Bradley International Terminal

Re "LAX Braces for Summer Travelers," May 26: I frequently travel internationally from LAX. This airport is a global embarrassment. The article addressed arriving. To exit Los Angeles one has to put up with lines taking hours in the morning at Terminal 1 or hours in the evenings at Bradley just to check in. Then it's the ridiculous TSA screening rules (go to Hong Kong or London Heathrow if you want to experience safety and sanity in the same screening process). Somewhere along the way the overstressed LAX staff is going to be rude and insensitive to the tourists and business people who Los Angeles really wants to come back.

In an effort to remain competitive with airports in other cities and accommodate new jumbo jets, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved 10 gates to be built to handle international traffic at Los Angeles International Airport. The project is the latest in a string of modifications underway at the airport, including a $723.5-million renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the recent relocation of the southernmost runway for safety reasons.

Illegal fireworks left in an airport bathroom and a separate tip about another supposed threat resulted in the evacuation of four terminal buildings Friday at Los Angeles International Airport, delaying flights for nearly 3,000 passengers and snarling traffic for almost five hours, according to police and airport authorities.

Airport officials and federal authorities said Thursday that they have tightened security at Los Angeles International Airport because of the recent arrest of an elevator mechanic suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States. Officials for LAX and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the measures included security adjustments at the federal inspection area inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Authorities declined to describe the changes to protect airport security.

"Carmageddon" brought mostly good karma Saturday morning to passengers traveling to and from LAX, judging from my interviews with about a dozen who came from all corners of Southern California .  The feared area-wide gridlock from the weekend closure of 10 miles of the 405 Freeway north of one of the world's busiest airports didn't happen, they said. In fact, they all said traffic was better than usual. That's not to say some fearful fliers weren't inconvenienced.

A lawyer representing six current and former employees of Los Angeles World Airports said Wednesday that the city's Ethics Commission has dropped a conflict-of-interest investigation into travel to China and New England by his clients. Attorney Terree Bowers said Ethics Commission Executive Director LeeAnn Pelham directed her staff to close the investigation, which was examining whether the airport officials violated the law by receiving discounted trips from an association that represents dozens of international airlines that use Los Angeles International Airport.

The president of the Los Angeles airport commission resigned Thursday, saying his ties to a popular restaurant chain have complicated efforts to transform the dining and shopping experience for travelers at Los Angeles International Airport. Alan Rothenberg, an attorney and investment banker in Century City, sent a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announcing his departure from the Board of Airport Commissioners, where he has served for five years. The seven-member panel sets policy for Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of LAX, Los Angeles/Ontario International Airport and Van Nuys Airport.

City ethics investigators have recommended that civil charges be brought against six current and former officials at Los Angeles World Airports who allegedly accepted thousands of dollars worth of discounted trips to China and New England from an association that represents dozens of international airlines that use LAX. According to records obtained by The Times, the trips involved a weeklong cruise last year along the New England and Canadian coasts...

Security experts released their third warning in as many years Friday that passengers in line in lobbies and on sidewalks at Los Angeles International Airport are vulnerable to luggage or car bomb attacks. They also recommended, for the second time, that airlines add ticket agents and the federal Transportation Security Administration hire more screeners to speed travelers to secure gate areas. "The crowded public areas at LAX continue to be an attractive target for terrorist bombs," Rand Corp.