Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti officially dedicated the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal this morning, celebrating the opening of Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) $1.73 billion investment.
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It delivers a modern guest experience with cutting-edge technology, stunning architecture, a checked-bag storage system, biometric boarding gates and the latest amenities for travelers to experience.
“LAX is our gateway to the world — a global crossroads where dreams take flight and where we welcome the future of our city with open arms,†said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Completing the West Gates is the latest step in our unprecedented campaign to reimagine LAX — to help our airport realize its potential as a premier, 21st century destination, as a source of jobs and economic growth for local workers, and as a site of seamless travel for millions of passengers.â€
The five-level, 15-gate, 750,000-square-foot facility, which will serve both international and domestic flights, marks the latest step in the airport's $14.5 billion modernization. At nearly 1,700 feet in length, the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal is located just west of the world-famous international terminal and was completed over the course of four-and-a-half years.
"I am excited to see these new, LEED Silver-certified gates at the Tom Bradley terminal," said Councilmember Mike Bonin (District 11). "By opening this facility, LAX is fulfilling its promise to bring world-class, sustainable airport facilities and living wage jobs to our city."
The new gates were designed around a modern, digitally based travel experience and offer numerous comfortable seating options, with thousands of places to plug in, while accessing next-generation wireless internet, touchscreen kiosks and the most advanced baggage handling and boarding systems of any airport in the United States today.
“The completion of the West Gates at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) signals the start of a new era for LAX to become one of the most modern, high-tech, efficient, and customer-friendly airports in the world," said Councilmember Joe Buscaino (District 15).
"It is critically important that we continue to invest in our City’s infrastructure now as our City and its number of visitors continues to grow. With hospitality and tourism at the heart of Los Angeles’ economy, our airport will be the welcome point for tens of millions of people who will pass through it annually.â€
"This project sets the standard for how to build better, providing meaningful work opportunities to local workers and small businesses, keeping sustainability at the heart of the project and focusing on providing the best passenger experience possible," said Sean Burton, President, Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC).
"More than 8,500 individuals, 30 percent of which came from the local community, had an integral role in building this state-of-the-art facility over the course of 1.4 million work hours."
The West Gates at Tom Bradley feature many passenger amenities, including two nursing rooms, a service-animal relief area, art exhibitions, a quiet room and three children's play areas.
"This is the first mega-project at LAX under the leadership and vision of Mayor Garcetti, working with our City Council and our Board, to build a world-class airport – one that will redefine our airport experience," said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
"We are delivering fully modernized terminals, new technology and guest services, and improved connections to our regional transportation system and investing in infrastructure that creates a more resilient airport and an even stronger economic engine for Los Angeles."
Construction began on the new gates in late 2016. A joint venture of Turner Construction and PCL Construction served as the contractor, in association with architects Corgan and Gensler. The project also included over 1.5-million-square-feet-of new aircraft apron and taxiways/taxilanes, as well as new underground utility improvements.
"We are proud of our work on the West Gates at Tom Bradley and the impact it has on the community, which supported the 9,000 trade workers who made the project a reality," said Rory DeJohn, Senior Vice President of Turner Construction Company and Managing Partner of the Turner/PCL joint venture.
“This new facility will play an important role supporting economic growth as well as reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Los Angeles. The modern building offers passengers the latest technology in the aviation industry and will serve as a wonderful gateway for travelers visiting, living and working in the region.â€
The West Gates at Tom Bradley project was funded from LAX's operating revenues, Capital Improvement Program funds, fees from airlines, passenger facility charges and airport revenue bond proceeds. No money was used from the city's General Fund or taxpayers. ■