Hurricane Lala disrupted travel between Los Angeles and Hawaii on Saturday, canceling flights from LAX to destinations across the islands as the Category 1 storm approached the Big Island.
Several flights from LAX to Hawaii were canceled Saturday, including service to Kona, Maui, Kauai and Honolulu. Canceled flights included United Flight 2373 to Kona, United Flight 2221 and American Airlines Flight 205 to Maui, United Flight 1295 to Kauai and United Flight 1170 to Honolulu. A return United flight from Kona to LAX scheduled for Saturday night was also canceled.
Many other flights between LAX and Hawaii continued to operate Saturday, with some experiencing delays.
Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, as it approached the southern end of the Big Island. Forecasters warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, with as much as 25 inches of rain possible at higher elevations. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green urged residents to shelter in place as rainfall reached 2 inches an hour in some areas.
If Lala makes landfall, it would be the first hurricane to do so on the Big Island in 155 years.
Hawaii transportation officials moved to close Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole on Saturday. Airlines had no more flights scheduled from Hilo for the day and none from Kona after 2 p.m., according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines canceled 54 inter-island flights and 11 trans-Pacific flights Saturday because of the storm. Five of the canceled trans-Pacific flights were to or from Kona. Affected passengers were being accommodated on later flights.
Several airlines offered travelers more flexibility to change their plans. Hawaiian, United and Southwest offered travel waivers allowing customers to change affected flights at no extra cost.
The travel disruptions were also creating uncertainty for LAX travelers. One traveler on Reddit said they were scheduled to fly from LAX to Kona on Sunday afternoon. “I am praying my flight doesn’t get cancelled,” the traveler wrote.
Flight attendant Cheryl DeFonce, meanwhile, wrote on Instagram that she and a colleague had been scheduled to work and fly to Kona on Saturday, but their flights in both directions were canceled. “Prayers to all of our friends in Hawaii & crews flying to/from the islands!” she wrote.
The Big Island airports were expected to resume operations Sunday, depending on conditions after the storm.
In a settlement announced this week, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to a former security guard at Los Angeles International Airport who alleged that the congressman assaulted her at a security checkpoint in 2000.
Kennedy, the son of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), will personally pay part of settlement to Della Patton of Los Angeles. His insurance company will pay the remainder.
“He felt it was his responsibility to own up and take responsibility for this incident,” said Jack McConnell, Kennedy’s lawyer. “He’s saying that this is an unfortunate incident, and that he’s sorry it happened.”
Patton filed suit in Torrance Superior Court, claiming that Kennedy “intentionally battered” her “with his hands and body” on March 26, 2000, in an attempt to force his way past her at a Terminal 7 security checkpoint at LAX.
The incident, which was captured on tape by two security cameras, started when Kennedy tried to put oversized luggage through an X-ray machine, said Patton’s attorney, George Mallory. Patton and another screener informed him that he would have to check his bag.
Kennedy pulled out his wallet and showed Patton his identification. When she refused to let him pass, Kennedy “shoved her and she struck the magnetometer,” Mallory said.
After the altercation, Patton suffered a “frozen shoulder” and had arthroscopic surgery for “loose bodies” in her left shoulder, Mallory said.
Kennedy, who eventually checked his bag on a flight to Boston, had previously apologized to Patton and offered $25,000, which she rejected.
The Hollywood Burbank Airport is due to replace its two terminals with a larger new terminal on Oct. 13. The $1.3-billion project will include 14 gates — the same number the airport has now. But the new structure will be a single terminal that’s about 50% larger than the airport’s current two-terminal layout.
In moving to a 355,000-square-foot terminal, officials say, the airport can give passengers more room and better technology while meeting safety and accessibility standards.
A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is designed to look when its new terminal opens in October.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
The airport, built in 1930 and run by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, is favored by many local travelers as a simpler, faster alternative to Los Angeles International Airport. The Burbank airport’s site in the San Fernando Valley, however, has often put its leaders at odds with residents of surrounding suburban neighborhoods.
As it stands, the aged Burbank facility doesn’t meet current state seismic standards or Federal Aviation Administration design standards — which has prompted repeated safety warnings. Its nine resident airlines fly to about 30 nonstop destinations. The airport reported about 6.2 million arriving and departing passengers in 2025.
Airport officials say the new design increases the distance between the terminal and the nearest runway, currently as little as 257 feet, soon to be about 880 feet, bringing the airport into compliance with FAA standards.
Meanwhile at LAX, which reported 73.7 million passengers in 2025, the opening of a long-awaited SkyLink automated people mover (an electric train linking terminals to rail service and rental cars) has been delayed by technical and legal issues. In a June 15 report, the SkyLink contractor estimated that its public opening would need to wait until Oct. 6 or later. Asked for a revised timetable, an LAX spokesperson gave no dates, saying only that the airport is focused on “exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles” to ensure safety and dependability.
A rendering shows how Hollywood Burbank Airport is expected to look after a new terminal opens in October.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
In Burbank, voters approved the airport terminal replacement project in 2016. Construction began in 2024. At the entrance, travelers will encounter a pair of 16-foot-tall sculptures, “The Two Electras,” by Cliff Garten; inside, a ceiling grid artwork by Glenn Kaino.
The new space is just north of the existing terminal, which is to be demolished. The new entrance will be at Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. Airport officials say the change will not affect the number of flights or the airport’s operating hours, which are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
In the new terminal, airport officials say, the walk from the entrance to the farthest gate will be 1,285 feet, down from 1,600 feet now, with wider corridors and sidewalks and access to power plugs for devices from every seat. Baggage claim carousels will move from outdoors to indoors.
A July 7 photo shows work in progress at Hollywood Burbank Airport, where a new terminal is scheduled to open in October.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
The airport project, known as Elevate BUR, has been overseen by the project management company Jacobs. The Design-Build portion of the project is led by Holder, Pankow, TEC, Joint Venture. Corgan provided architectural services in association with CannonDesign.
As it does now, the airport will supply shuttle bus service between the new terminal and Burbank Airport-South Train Station (which connects with Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner) and the Burbank Airport-North Station at San Fernando Road and Hollywood Way.
Another thing that won’t change: Passengers will continue to walk across the tarmac from terminal to stairs to planes, rather than using the enclosed jetways common in other airports, especially larger ones. It’s something travelers say they appreciate about the airport.
“The second I step onto the tarmac at Burbank, I start acting like I’m boarding a private jet,” wrote one Threads user. “And you’ll never convince me otherwise.”
Some other changes travelers can expect in Burbank:
The new terminal’s 14 food service units are tentatively set to include a Flavor Town, Spring Chicken, Farm Table Bistro, Jones Coffee, Perry’s Joint, Poquito Mas, West Coast Smash Burger, Diane’s Pizzeria, Massis Kebab, Starbucks, Border Grill, Jet Tila’s Asian Table, Santa Canela bakery and a bar with picture-window views of the runways and Verdugo mountains.
The Grand Hall of the soon-to-open terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport awaits finishing touches on July 7.
(Hollywood Burbank Airport)
A new parking structure next to the new terminal will hold 2,007 parking spots, including 400 valet spots. (The airport’s total number of parking spaces will remain the same at 6,637.)
The distance between the new terminal and the airport’s existing rental car facility and bus stop (Regional Intermodal Transit Center) will be slightly less than a mile by shuttle bus.
