Los Angeles International Airport- (LAX)
Airport Overview
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport that serves Los Angeles, California, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is known as LAX airport, the identifier code for the airport. The Airport is located in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, 18 miles (30 km) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles. The airport covers 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land and has four parallel runways.
LAX Airport currently serves more than 109 nonstop domestic destinations and 93 nonstop international destinations, including cities in Mexico, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, Toronto, Taipei, and many more. With over 85 million passengers annually, LAX is one of the fastest-growing airports in the USA. More info can be found below:
Terminals
The Terminals of Los Angeles International Airport have a total of 146 gates in nine passenger terminals arranged in the shape of the letter U or a horseshoe. Passengers can move between terminals via various shuttle buses and inter-terminal pedestrian connections. As of 2021, the airport is in the midst of a major reconstruction program, at the conclusion of which passengers will be able to make connections between all terminals on foot without having to exit and reenter airport security.
In addition to these terminals, there are 2 million square feet (190,000 m2) of cargo facilities and a heliport operated by Bravo Aviation. Qantas has a maintenance facility even though this is not a hub for them.
There are additional nine satellite gates at the American Eagle satellite terminal for international flights on the west side of the LAX Airport. Passengers are transported to these gates by bus.
Inter-terminal connections
Passengers can walk between the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) and Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 without needing to exit the secure area and be re-screened. A sky bridge walkway connects Terminals B and 4; a tunnel connects Terminals 4, 5 and 6; and a ground-level walkway connects Terminals 6, 7, and 8.
Currently, a Delta Air Lines shuttle bus connects Terminals 2, 3, and B. A sky bridge walkway is under construction between Terminals 2, 3, and B.
There are no airside connections between Terminal 1 and any other terminals, so passengers needing to make a connection must exit the secure area and be re-screened. As of 2021, a building connecting Terminals 1 and 2, dubbed Terminal 1.5, is under construction, and will include a passage beyond airport security between the two terminals.
An additional airside shuttle bus operates between Terminals 4, 5, and the American Eagle remote terminal.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 has 13 gates: Gates 9, 10, 11A–11B, 12A–12B, 13–15, 16, 17A–17B, and 18A–18B. As of May 2021, the terminal serves as an operating base for Southwest Airlines (Southwest operates point-to-point routes with bases instead of hubs). The terminal also has check-in facilities for Allegiant Air, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and VivaAerobús. After clearing security in Terminal 1, passengers board a shuttle to the West Gates of the Tom Bradley International Terminal where the flights operate.
Terminal 1, with main tenant Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), was built in 1984. Terminal 1 completed an extensive renovation financed by Southwest Airlines. This renovation was completed in late 2018 and provides updates to the security screening area, curbside dropoff, terminal areas and baggage handling.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 has 12 gates: Gates 21, 21B, 22, 23A–23B, 24, 25A–25B, 26A–26B, 27 and 28. As of May 2021, this terminal, along with Terminal 3, serves as a hub for Delta Air Lines. The terminal is also used by AeroLitoral, AeroMéxico and Virgin Atlantic for passenger check-in for flights that operate out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Terminal 2 was built in 1962, and was the original international terminal. It was completely torn down and rebuilt in stages between 1984 and 1988 at a cost of $94 million. The rebuilt terminal was designed by Leo A Daly. Terminal 2 has CBP (Customs and Border Protection) facilities to process arriving international passengers but arriving Aer Lingus passengers normally use the same arrival facilities as domestic passengers since they have already cleared CBP inspections at their departure airports.
There are two airline lounges in Terminal 2 with the Delta SkyClub and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse both being located on the mezzanine level of the concourse. As of Mid-2021, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse is no longer operating, and the existing lounge space is used by Delta as an additional SkyClub location at LAX.
Terminal 3
As of November 2020, Terminal 3 is temporarily closed for reconstruction as part of Delta Air Lines' $1.9 billion Sky Way at LAX modernization project. The reconstructed Terminal 3 is expected to re-open in mid-2022. The pace of construction was accelerated due to the decline in passenger air travel as the result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Terminal 3 opened in 1961 and was Trans World Airlines' (TWA's) terminal. Eastern Air Lines initially also shared space as a tenant. The terminal was expanded in 1970 to accommodate widebody operations and between 1980 and 1987, which included a new passenger connector building and baggage system connected to the original satellite. It formerly housed some American Airlines flights after that airline acquired Reno Air and TWA in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Virgin America was also based here from 2008-2017 until the Alaska Airlines merger moved them to Terminal 6. US Airways was housed in Terminal 3 after renovations were started in Terminal 1 from February 2014 until eventually, all American flights were moved to Terminal 4.
As of May 2017, Copa Airlines, Avianca, and Interjet used Terminal 3 for check-in of passengers.
Terminal 3 has one Delta SkyClub.
Terminal 4
Terminal 4 has 16 gates: Gates 40–41, 42A–42B, 43–45, 46A–46C, 47A–47B, 48A–48B, and 49A–49B. As of May 2021, this terminal, the Regional Terminal, and part of Terminal 5, serve as a hub for American Airlines.
Terminal 4 was built in 1961, was expanded in 1983 by adding a connector from the ticketing areas to the original satellite, and was renovated in 2002 at a cost of $400 million in order to improve the appearance and functionality of the facility. The renovation was designed by Rivers & Christian. Some international departures operate at TBIT.
American Airlines and American Eagle have more gates than any other airline at LAX, with 28 (American Airlines operates from 32 gates in total, including 9 gates at the American Eagle satellite terminal, 4 dedicated gates at Terminal 5, as well as 4 rotating gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal).
Terminal 4 has one American Airlines Admirals Club in the main concourse and one in the American Eagle satellite terminal.
Terminal 5
Terminal 5 has 15 gates: Gates 50A–50B, 51A–51B, (Gates 52A–52I are located at the American Eagle Terminal), 53A–53B, 54A–54B, 55A, 56–57, 58, and 59. As of May 2021, the terminal serves as an operating base for JetBlue (JetBlue operates point-to-point routes with bases instead of hubs) and along with Terminal 4, serves as a hub for American Airlines. The terminal is also used by Spirit Airlines.
Terminal 5 opened in 1962, and Western Airlines occupied this terminal until Western was merged with Delta on April 1, 1987. Terminal 5 was redesigned by Gensler, expanded to include a connector building between the original satellite and the ticketing facilities and remodeled from 1986 through early 1988. It was unofficially named 'Delta's Oasis at LAX' with the slogan 'Take Five at LAX' when construction was completed in the summer of 1988. Northwest Airlines moved all operations to Terminal 5 and Terminal 6 alongside Delta on June 30, 2009, as part of its merger with the airline.
Delta, which had been based for decades in Terminal 5 (with additional gates in Terminal 6), moved to Terminals 2 and 3 between May 12–17, 2017 in order to relieve overcrowding and provide better and easier transfers with its airline partners at Tom Bradley International Terminal.
American Eagle flights operate from a satellite terminal that is located just east of Terminal 8. This terminal has 9 gates that supplement American's mainline operation at Terminals 4 and 5.
In July 2020, JetBlue announced that they would close their Long Beach operating base due to their routes underperforming there and because the officials at Long Beach refused to build a customs facility at LGB. As a result, JetBlue announced they would create a new operating base at LAX, as they planned a big expansion at the airport. JetBlue opened their LAX operating base on October 7, 2020, at Terminal 5. Because they moved their base to Los Angeles, they were able to expand domestically and internationally on the West Coast.
American Airlines has one Admirals Club in the terminal, occupying the space of the former Delta SkyClub.
Terminal 6
Terminal 6 has 14 gates: Gates 60–63, 64A–64B, 65A–65B, 66, 67, 68A–68B, and 69A–69B. As of May 2021, the terminal serves as a hub for Alaska Airlines and is also used by Air Canada and small regional airlines Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express.
The terminal opened as "Satellite 6" and "Ticketing Building 6" in November 1963 and marked the conclusion of the initial phase of passenger terminal construction at the airport. When it originally opened, it was a common use, multi-carrier terminal that supported the operations of Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Pacific Air Lines and Pacific Southwest Airlines. The original building was capable of handling six planes at one time.
In the early 1970s, Continental and Delta built the "Satellite Extension" to expand Satellite 6, adding additional gates to the south end of the building and reconfiguring the existing structure to accommodate the new "jumbo jet", the Boeing 747. When the project was complete, Satellite 6 was able to simultaneously handle eight planes: two 747s, four wide-bodied tri-jets, and two smaller planes such as the Boeing 707 or 727. Four of these gates have two jetways, which can accommodate large aircraft.
In 1982, Continental sponsored the Connector project which joined the Ticketing Building to the Satellite and the Satellite Extension, adding additional gates and facilities.
Prior to October 2014, United Airlines used the connector gates, supplementing its base at Terminal 7. Delta also leased some space from the Airport in Terminal 6, in addition to its base at Terminal 5. Most of the rotunda gates can feed arriving passengers into a sterile corridor that shunts them to Terminal 7's customs and immigration facility. On November 6, 2014, American Airlines moved US Airways flights from Terminal 3 into Terminal 6, taking 4 gates in the Connector Building. On January 31, 2017, American Airlines relocated these 4 gates to Terminal 5 as part of the larger LAX Terminal relocation program.
In April 2011, Alaska Airlines agreed to a deal with Los Angeles World Airports to renovate Terminal 6 and build an Alaska Lounge for first class passengers. The airline moved its flights to Terminal 6 on March 20, 2012, and Spirit Airlines was relocated to Terminal 3.
In July 2021, construction began on another round of refurbishments to the terminal. On the customer-facing front, the gate areas, departure lounges, Border Protection, and TSA Security areas are being refurbished/upgraded and new jet bridges will be installed. Additionally, a drive through bus gate will be added to ease transfers to other terminals. On the operations front, the apron paving, fuel lines and other airfield infrastructure will be upgraded. As construction progresses, different areas of the terminal will be closed to passengers, starting with the three gates at the southeast end. Construction is scheduled to conclude in 2023.
Terminal 7
Check in area at LAX Terminal 7 before renovation
Terminal 7 has 13 gates: Gates 70A–70B, 71A–71B, 72A–72B, 73, 74, 75A–75B, 76A–76B, and 77. As of May 2021, this terminal, along with Terminal 8, serves as a hub for United Airlines.
The terminal opened in 1962 and was expanded to accommodate widebody aircraft in 1970. The terminal was expanded in 1982 with the addition of a connector building, which today consists of gates 70A-70B and 71A-71B. Four of these gates have two jetways, which accommodate large aircraft. The interior of the terminal was renovated between January 1998 and June 1999 at a cost of $250 million, was designed by HNTB, and was constructed by Hensel Phelps Construction. Added were new gate podiums, increased size of gate areas, relocated concessions, expanded restrooms, new flooring, and new signage. Also, the roof of the terminal was raised, and new, brighter light fixtures were added in order to provide more overall lighting. In 2017, Terminal 7 underwent another renovation, with significant changes to concessions. The terminal also contains a United Club and a United Polaris Lounge. The terminal has a customs area located on the arrivals floor, used by international flights served by United Airlines and Alaska Airlines in adjacent Terminal 6.
Terminal 8
Terminal 8 has 8 gates: Gates 80–85, 86A-B. As of May 2021, the terminal, along with Terminal 7 serves as a hub for United Airlines.
Terminal 8 was originally called Concourse 8 because it does not have its own passenger processing facilities (ticketing, security checkpoint or baggage claim) and relies on the facilities located in Terminal 7. The building was redeveloped in 1982, ahead of the 1984 Olympics.
The terminal formerly served Shuttle by United flights. At one point, only United Express flights arrived and departed from Terminal 8. Non-United Express flights arrived and departed from Terminals 6 and 7. Terminal 8 is now used once again for some mainline flights.
Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B)
The Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), also referred as Terminal B, has 40 gates: Gates 130–225. The terminal hosts 29 airlines, mostly those based outside of the United States.
The massive terminal is separated into several different areas: North Concourse (9 gates: 130–135, 137, 139, 141); Bus Gates (6 gates: 136, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146); South Concourse (10 gates: 148, 150–157, 159); West Gates (15 gates: 201A, 201B, 202–208, 209A, 209B, 210A, 210B, 221, 225); and the Bus Port. The Bus Gates and the Bus Port are used to shuttle passengers from the remote check-in area at Terminal 1, between Terminals B and 2, and between Terminal B and nine satellite gates located remotely on the west side of the LAX airfield.
History
The Tom Bradley International Terminal opened on June 18, 1984, just weeks before the start of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.
The building was added to the west end of the passenger terminal area between Terminals 3 and 4. Prior to this, Terminal 2 was the primary international terminal. It is named for Tom Bradley, the first African-American and longest-serving (20 years) mayor of Los Angeles, and a champion of LAX.
By the early 2000s, airport managers grew concerned about LAX's future as an international gateway. The international terminal was aging, and many carriers had reduced flights to LAX in favor of more modern airports, such as San Francisco and Seattle. By 2007, LAX lost 12% of the seats on its weekly international departures. At the same time, the airport was concerned that it would not be able to accommodate future larger commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.
Airport management gave the old terminal received a minor facelift by September 2006, adding new paging, air conditioning and electrical systems, along with new elevators, escalators and baggage carousels. Meanwhile, the southern-most runway, 7R/25L was shifted 55 feet (17 m) to the south to prepare it for the additional width of the Airbus A380 and add a parallel taxiway between the adjacent runway. Runway 7R/25L reopened on March 25, 2007, and the taxiway was completed in 2008.
On March 19, 2007, the Airbus A380 made its US debut with simultaneous landings at LAX and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.[41] Commercial service with the Airbus A380 started on October 20, 2008, with Qantas service between LAX and Sydney. Because the Bradley Terminal was too small to accommodate the jet, the plane was serviced using the satellite gates located on the west side of the LAX airfield.
The Bradley Terminal was heavily modernized and expanded in phases between 2008 and 2021.
The design by Fentress Architects in association with HNTB was unveiled on November 17, 2008. The first phase of construction began on February 22, 2010, and included the demolition and replacement of the north concourse gates and the construction of the "Great Hall" with dining, retail shopping and large airline alliance lounges. Work on the first phase was completed in 2013, and crews began the second phase, which included the replacement of the south concourse and the expansion of the security, customs and immigration processing areas. The second phase was completed in 2015. Of the 19 gates in the modernized terminal, 9 are equipped with three jet bridges to accommodate the largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.
The third phase would be a new mid-field concourse and construction began on February 27, 2017. The concourse, later renamed the West Gates at Tom Bradley International opened on May 1, 2021. Two of the gates in the West Gates concourse can accommodate the A380.
Regional Terminal
The Regional Terminal has nine gates: Gates 52A–52I, and is used exclusively for American Eagle flights, earning it the nickname “the Eagle’s nest.” It serves as the remainder of American's hub operations in Los Angeles, supplementing Terminal 4 and 5.
The terminal is located on the southeast side of the LAX airfield, east of Sepulveda Boulevard from Terminal 8. As it is physically separated from the other terminal buildings, passengers access the Regional Terminal using a system of shuttle buses. Buses operate between the Regional Terminal and Terminal 4 or Terminal 5, which house American Airlines' other gates.
The Regional Terminal's gate numbers (52A–52I) are meant to encourage passengers originating their travel from LAX to enter the airport through the less congested Terminal 5 and board the bus at a stop located at Gate 52. But as the majority of American Airlines' mainline fights at LAX operate out of Terminal 4, a separate bus service is additionally operated to that terminal to minimize connection times.
The terminal has a covered walkway and ramp at each gate for access and egress to the aircraft instead of jet bridges. The terminal features an Admirals Club lounge, restrooms, seating areas with power outlets, and a concession area.
The terminal originally handled United Express flights (gates 71C-71K) until it was vacated in 2005. American Eagle flights were relocated to the terminal in January 2010 from a remote terminal which was 0.3 mi (500 m) west of Terminal 4 that would later be demolished.
LAX Train
As part of the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is planning to construct LAX Train, an automated people mover which consists of approximately 2.25 miles (3.62 km) of elevated guideway and six stations. Headways are expected to be as low as 2 minutes between trains. Construction of LAX Train started in 2017, and is anticipated to be completed by 2023.
The three westernmost stations will be centrally located near the parking structures, and connect to their respective terminals via pedestrian bridges:
- West Station, serving Terminals 3, 4, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal
- Center Station, serving Terminals 2, 5, and 6
- East Station, serving Terminals 1, 7, and 8
LAX Train will provide access to transportation options:
- Intermodal Transportation Facility (ITF) West Station, allowing access to LAX Train for private vehicles, hotel and commercial shuttles, and bus transit.
- Metro/ITF East Station, connecting to the Los Angeles Metro Rail at the Aviation/96th Street station, scheduled to open in 2023.
- Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) Station, the eastern terminus at a new consolidated rental car facility.
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