SEPTEMBER MODERNIZATION UPDATE: TRANSFORMATION OF LAX CONTINUES AS BUSY SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON WRAPS UP

(Los Angeles, California – September 1, 2017)  As the summer travel season comes to an end, work on the transformation of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will ramp up in September. With a record number of passengers using the airport in 2017, changes to the terminals and nearby roadways mean guests should plan ahead to navigate sidewalk and vehicle lane closures and in-terminal work, and arrive at least two hours before the scheduled boarding time (not the departure time) for domestic flights and three hours before the scheduled boarding time for international flights.  To help speed our guests to their next destination, construction alerts showing Central Terminal Area (CTA) roadway lane restrictions and sidewalk closures, as well as a pedestrian walking map, traffic/parking availability map, and helpful airline terminal finder   LAX provides real-time traffic status in and around the CTA on Waze, the community-based traffic reporting app.

Roadway Impacts in and near the CTA:  

• The main construction area at Terminal 1 is located near the center of the building, with continued impact to the drop-off lane on the Upper/Departure Level.  A pickup and drop-off area for parking shuttles and the Lot C bus ONLY is open on the eastern end of the terminal.  Private vehicles are not allowed to drop off in this space and should continue to the west end of Terminal 1.  During busy travel times, such as early morning and midday, passenger drop-off can cause traffic backups on the roads leading into the CTA, affecting access to all other terminals.  To avoid traffic congestion at LAX from early morning to 2 p.m., motorists are asked to use the Lower/Arrivals Level to drop off passengers, who can take elevators, escalators or stairs up to the Upper/Departures Level. 
• Installation of metal panels on Parking Structures 1 and 3 may require the intermittent closure of the left-most lane on the Lower/Arrivals Level between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily through October.
• Arbor Vitae Street will be closed between Aviation Boulevard and Bellanca Avenue the weekends of Sept. 8-10 and 15-17 for work related to the construction of LA Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX Line, including the installation of an at-grade rail crossing.  The work will take place from 9 p.m. on Fridays, Sept. 8 and 15, until early the following Monday morning, and also involves rebuilding the roadway and the intersection with Bellanca Avenue to support the new rail crossing.  A detour will be posted both weekends, using Aviation Boulevard,  Manchester Avenue and Airport Boulevard to get around the closure.  Bellanca Avenue will remain open for access to rental car agencies and other businesses.  In addition, the curb lane on Arbor Vitae Street will be closed daily through Sept. 8 for installation of the rails.

Terminal Construction/Renovation :

•  Terminal 1:  Phase 3 of Southwest Airlines’ $515-million Terminal 1 Renovation Project has shifted to the central part of the terminal, including the installation of new restrooms and a food court at the former Security Screening Check Point.  The new screening area opened in April, with ticketed passengers using a tunnel to bypass construction between the ticketing lobby and checkpoint.  The food court near Gates 10 and 12 will close on Sept. 4, with passengers directed to other establishments further north in Terminal 1.  Westfield is phasing in new concessions through 2018. On the way to the baggage claim area, arriving passengers will be directed to the right when they reach the bottom of the escalators.  Renovation work in the area of the escalators will take place overnight, with arriving passengers directed to the escalators in the Security Screening Check Point after 11 p.m. nightly.  Gates 11A, 14 and 16 are temporarily closed for upgrades.  The pedestrian bridge connecting Parking Structure 1 and the terminal is closed, with signs placed to direct passengers.  The restrooms on the ticketing level have been temporarily replaced by all-genderrestrooms on the west side of the lobby.  Passengers may also use restrooms located on the Lower/Arrivals Level or in the terminal beyond passenger security screening.  A new water bottle filling station has opened near Gate 9. 

• Terminal 2:  Xiamen Airlines flights now arrive at Terminal 2, but continue to depart from the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TerminalB/TBIT) .   Delta Air Lines shuttle buses depart and arrive from near Gate 22, with service to Terminal 3 and Terminal B.

• Terminal 3:   Delta Air Lines has relocated to Terminal 3 as a precursor to its plans for a massive renovation.  Delta shuttle buses depart and arrive from Gate 35, connecting Terminals 2 and B. Passengers on Avianca, InterJet and Copa Airlines check in at counters on the west side of Terminal 3 and walk next door to Terminal B for their flights.  A food court, including Shake Shack, LA Life and a new Starbucks location, is open. A Nekter juice bar has opened across from Gate 30. La Familia, a restaurant and tequila spot, is scheduled to open this fall, along with additional retail and dining destinations by year’s end.

• Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B/TBIT):   Renumbered Gates 137, 139 and 141 are open on the north end of TBIT. Gate 131 is closed for construction of improvements to the baggage handling facility, and Gate 132 is closed for work related to the Midfield Satellite Concourse.  Passengers using Terminals 4-8 are able to access shops and restaurants in Terminal B without having to clear security a second time by using the Terminal 4 Connector.  Work has begun to upgrade 14 of the 16 lanes in the Security Screening Check Point to Automated Screening Lanes, which process approximately 30 percent more passengers per hour

• Terminal 4:   American Airlines continues the multi-million dollar renovation of the Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge and further upgrades to terminal signage.  The club is scheduled to close temporarily after a newly renovated club opens in Terminal 5 this month.

• Terminal 5:  With Delta’s mid-May move to Terminals 2 and 3, Allegiant, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Spirit and Sun Country have relocated operations to Terminal 5, which also includes four gates for American Airlines.  The bus to the American Eagle terminal leaves from Gate 52.  A newly renovated Admirals Club will open on the mezzanine level this month.  Work will take place overnight to replace carpeting in American Airlines’ gate areas.

•   Terminal 6:  Virgin America, Air Canada, XL Airways France, Thomas Cook and Boutique Air operate from Terminal 6, joining Alaska Airlines. In addition, Ethiopian now departs from Terminal 6 but arrives at Terminal B, while Austrian arrives at Terminal 6, and departs from Terminal B – these two carriers have “split” operations.  

• Terminals 7/8:   United Airlines is continuing its $573-million Terminal 7/8 Renovation Project scheduled for completion in early 2018.  A portion of the sidewalk on the arrivals level is closed.  A new service animal relief area has opened near the connector to Terminal 6, while the former location closer to the middle of Terminal 7 has closed.  Gates 76 and 84 are temporarily closed for renovations.  New men’s restrooms have opened near Gate 70A and between Gates 72 and 74 while the women’s restroom between Gates 75A and 75B is closed for renovation.  Water-bottle fillers are now available across from Gate 75A as well as adjacent to the women’s restroom at the north end of the concourse.   A new pair of escalators leads passengers from the concourse to baggage claim, and two new elevators are also available to access the arrivals level.  The old escalators will be removed.  Construction barricades have been installed around Baggage Carousel 2, which is being replaced, with work scheduled until late December. Passengers can access Baggage Carousels 3 and 4 from the street level.  The bridge from Parking Structure 7 has reopened.  

Sidewalk/Walkway/Parking Structure Restrictions and Closures :

• As part of Southwest’s Terminal 1 Renovation Project, portions of the sidewalk on the Upper/Departures Level will be closed through June 2018 with pedestrians routed around barricades.  A portion of the drop-off lane will be sectioned off to serve as a walking path while construction barricades are shifted westward.
• Access to stairwells and sidewalks adjacent to Parking Structures 1 and 3 may be impacted by installation of metal panels on the elevator towers through October. Pedestrians will rerouted around the work as needed.
• Portions of Lot C will have no parking signs posted prior to utility location work scheduled for September 14-15.
• New signs have been posted at the entrances to parking structures in the CTA to make it easier for motorists to find the entry lanes.

Landside Access Modernization Program :

To improve the passenger experience, relieve congestion and enhance LAX’s status as a world-class airport, Los Angeles World Airports has proposed the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP).   The program, which includes an Automated People Mover for access to the CTA, a Consolidated Rent-A-Car Center and connection to Metro light-rail service, requires federal and local approval as part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  

Please note that all dates provided in this notice are subject to change.

      Traffic alerts and current airport conditions are posted on LAX’s social media sites at www.Facebook/com/LAInternationalAirport and www.Twitter.com/flyLAXairport .  A construction hotline at (310) 649-LAWA or (310) 649-5292 is also available and by following @LAAirportPDon Twitter.

      Motorists can help reduce traffic congestion in and around LAX by taking shared-ride public transportation to and from LAX, including the inexpensive and convenient FlyAway® bus service to and from Hollywood, Long Beach, Metro Orange Line Bus stop (in San Fernando Valley), Union Station, Van Nuys and Westwood.  If picking up passengers, motorists can use the free LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot at the intersection of 96th Street and Vicksburg Avenue, next to the entrance of LAX Economy Parking Lot C.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

           LAX is the fourth busiest airport in the world, second in the United States, and was named Skytrax’ 2017 Top 10 Most Improved Airports.  LAX served more than 80.9 million passengers in 2016.  LAX offers 737 daily nonstop flights to 100 cities in the U.S. and 1,386 weekly nonstop flights to 88 cities in 44 countries on 73 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.2 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 697,138 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2016. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues.  The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital-improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion, $966 million in state and local taxes, and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

            LAX is also the second most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.

           As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities.  Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.

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