Q: I know many, if not most, runways at major airports form an “X” pattern. Is this why there’s an “X” in LAX? Why does this designation apply only to Los Angeles International? How does LAX compare with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and O’Hare International Airport when it comes to how busy they are?
—Lance DeLoach, Thomaston
A: The "X" on the end of the designation for Los Angeles International was added when airport codes expanded from two letters to three to differentiate from the National Weather Service's two-letter identification system for cities. Some airports, like the one in Los Angeles, added an "X" at the end, becoming LAX in 1947, according to a 1994 article in Air Line Pilot magazine. Others adding an "X" included Portland, Ore. (PDX), Sioux City, Iowa (SUX), and Phoenix (PHX). Hartsfield-Jackson was the busiest airport in the world as of July, according to Airports Council International. O'Hare was fourth and LAX was sixth.
Q: Who was Andrea Bocelli’s first wife and what happened to her?
—Frank Burnette, Decatur
A: Bocelli, an Italian tenor, married Enrica Cenzatti in 1992 and they separated in 2002. They have two sons. He and girlfriend Veronica Berti, who also is his manager, gave birth to a girl they named Virginia in March 2012. Cenzatti was living in a neighboring villa from Bocelli and Berti in Italy, several European newspapers reported last year. He recently bought an estate in North Miami Beach, which will be a second home.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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