Bags on conveyor belts, planes turned around in under an hour and a building that looks like a spaceship. Here's what really happens at Los Angeles International Airport.
I've flown through Los Angeles International Airport so many times. Each time, I see a little more of what's going on behind the windows.
## A city that never sleeps
LAX is one of the busiest airports in the world. Tens of millions of passengers pass through every year. It has its own police, fire crews, power, roads and restaurants. It's like a small city where nobody stays the night.
## Why the X?
Airports used to have two-letter codes, and Los Angeles was "LA". When codes changed to three letters, an X was added to fill the gap. It doesn't stand for anything.
## The race to turn a plane around
As soon as a plane parks at the gate, the clock starts. Cleaners, caterers, fuel crews and baggage handlers all work at once. A short-haul plane can be ready to fly again in under an hour.
## Where does your bag go?
After check-in, your bag rides a maze of conveyor belts. Scanners read the barcode on its tag and send it to the right plane. Every bag is also X-rayed, even if you never see it happen.
## Who tells the planes where to go?
Air traffic controllers in the tower watch the runways and taxiways. They give each pilot permission to land, take off and cross a runway, one plane at a time.
## Closer to home
Auckland Airport is the busiest in Aotearoa New Zealand, but LAX handles many times more people. Bigger airports bring jobs and travel, but also noise and pollution. If your town wanted a bigger airport, would you vote yes?