Denver and JFK beat out LAX as the least accessible airports

Here’s surprising news for local travelers: Los Angeles International Airport is not the least accessible airport in the world.

That dubious distinction falls on Denver International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, according to a ranking of the world’s 30 busiest airports by the Global Gateway Alliance, a nonprofit New York advocacy group promoting improved public access.

Those airports scored only 30 out of 100 points on an accessibility scale that looked at travel time, travel costs, availability of public transit and number of transfers needed to get to the airports.

The Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain took the top ranking, with travel time of 16 minutes from the nearest downtown district or transit hub, direct access by rail and travel costs under $2.50, according to the ranking.

Both Denver and JFK scored a travel time of more than 47 minutes, with travel costs of more than $11 and no direct rail line from the nearest downtown district or transit hub, the study found.

As for LAX, the report said travel from the nearest downtown district or transit hub takes 45 minutes, with travel costs of $6 to $11 and no direct rail service.

LAX officials point out that meetings are now scheduled in Los Angeles to discuss a transportation improvement program that includes an “automated people mover” to take travelers directly from a nearby rail station to the airport’s central terminal.

“This program will transform how people travel to and from LAX in the future,” said LAX spokeswoman Nancy Suey Castles.

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