Mayor Eric Garcetti on March 29 joined a ribbon-cutting for phase one of the Delta Sky Way project at LAX — a four-level, 770,000 square foot building that is part of a $1.8 billion modernization of Terminals 2 and 3 and the latest project to open as part of LAX’s $15-billion modernization plan.
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“LAX is a central pillar of our economic strength, and our ability to bounce back so strongly from the pandemic is largely tied to direct investments we’ve made to help realize its full potential,†said Mayor Eric Garcetti.
“This facility is just the latest milestone in our work to completely reimagine this airport — joining a long list of recently completed projects that are transforming the passenger experience and turning LAX into one of the premier airports in the world.â€
The new building, which will officially open to the public on April 20, will offer consolidated locations for ticketing and check-in, security screening, and baggage claim.
The new facility will offer facial recognition technology to allow travelers to check their bags hands-free and boast one the largest Delta Sky Clubs in Delta’s network, featuring over 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.
To date, workers on the project have earned more than $228 million in wages, with nearly 30 percent of the workforce coming from the local community. Five graduates of the nationally recognized HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program also have worked on the project.
The building was designed to meet Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA) sustainability goals and is targeting a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The project, which is the first in a larger series of phased openings for the modernization of Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX, has been accelerated by 18 months and will later include a reconstructed Terminal 3 concourse and a post-security connection to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
When the Delta Sky Way at LAX is complete late next year, Terminals 2 and 3 will be a consolidated, 1.2-million-square-foot, 27-gate complex, providing connections between Terminals 2 and 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
LAX is in the midst of a $14.5 billion Capital Improvement Program, the largest airport project of its kind in the nation.
The overhaul touches all nine passenger terminals and includes the creation of new facilities, including the Automated People Mover train system and a Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility.
This past fall, Mayor Garcetti celebrated the opening of the LAX Economy Parking, a $294 million, 1.7-million-square-foot facility that has approximately 4,300 new parking stalls.
Last summer, he celebrated the opening of the Terminal 1 extension at LAX, a $477.5 million, 283,000 square-foot extension of Terminal 1. In May of last year, Mayor Garcetti dedicated the opening of the West Gates of Tom Bradley International Terminal — a $1.73 billion investment that adds 15 gates and 750,000 square feet just west of Tom Bradley. ■