Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Delta have opened the airline’s new West Headhouse and Delta One Check-in and Ticketing Lobby at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)’s Terminal 3.
The West Headhouse, which features self-service kiosks for passengers to drop their bags and print boarding passes, provides another entry point to check-in and get to security. At the Delta One check-in area, located on the lower arrivals level of Terminal 3, Delta One customers can access a private TSA screening lane and direct access to the Delta Sky Club.
Further alternations include the addition of 100 more seats to the Delta Sky Club, the re-opening of the original Terminal 3 passenger tunnel – complete with its 1960s tile mosaic and direct access to baggage claim – an enlarged T3 Help Center and a second connection point to LAX’s People Mover train when it opens in 2024. The opening of the new Delta West Headhouse and Delta One Check-in and Ticketing Lobby is expected to further accommodate the influx of passengers on the 150-plus daily flights that Delta operates.
According to the companies, art was also an important consideration within the space. The Delta One check-in area features artwork from two local artists in partnership with ArtLifting, a social enterprise that champions artists affected by disabilities and housing insecurity. LAX’s art team also collaborated with Delta on the installation of two new murals in Terminal 3’s pre-security Level 3 Departures Lobby. Collider Beaming by Timothy Nolan is a vinyl mural of collaged imagery that features the representation of tiny, subatomic particles intermingling to create maze patterns, and A Place for Us All by Sarah “Buckley” Samiani is a hand-painted mural that explores themes of movement and energy through colors and juxtapositions that recall the environment of the city.
The milestone represents the second to last major phase before the full Delta Sky Way project opens to the public later in the summer of 2023. Together through a joint US$2.3bn investment of both LAWA and Delta funding, the partners are modernizing the airport. As with previous phases, this stage of the Delta Sky Way project provided opportunities for local workers, with approximately 30% of the project team comprising LA residents. The project team also includes 10 graduates of LAWA’s renowned HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program.
Terminal 3, where the projects are located, is designed to meet LAWA’s commitment to eliminate carbon emissions from its facilities and the greater Delta Sky Way project features a wide array of sustainability integrations, like low-flow plumbing fixtures that make use of recycled water. Additionally, all of the building’s systems, including structural, façade, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and lighting are designed to meet CalGreen 2016 and the US Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification standards.
Beatrice Hsu, president of the Los Angeles board of airport commissioners, commented, “Our projects aim to serve travelers for generations to come, but the ways in which they support the local economy and workforce start at day one. On the Delta Sky Way project, 2,065 workers from the local community represent 30% of the project team. When we celebrate the full opening of the project later this summer, it will be alongside the dedicated workers who saw the project to completion.”
Justin Erbacci, CEO of LAWA, said, “I am eager for guests to enjoy Delta’s new West Headhouse and Delta One Check-in and Ticketing Lobby at LAX’s Terminal 3, in addition to the entire Delta Sky Way project when it opens later this summer. These projects truly are establishing the new norm of first-rate guest experiences passengers will find across LAX. My deep appreciation goes to Delta, Hensel Phelps, the team at LAWA, our shared community of supporters and the workers who are continuing to usher the Delta Sky Way project forward.”
Scott Santoro, vice president of global sales at Delta, added, “We’re building on our position as LAX’s leading premium global carrier and achieving yet another infrastructure milestone ahead of schedule – enabling an ever-elevated travel journey for our Los Angeles customers. Now that the summer travel season has officially kicked off, Delta couldn’t be more ready to get our customers where they want to go most.”
“A transformation of LAX is on the horizon,” said Rachel Freeman, Deputy Mayor of Business and Economic Development. “The newly completed investments at Terminal 3 are another step in upgrading the guest experience at LAX and building an airport that Angelenos deserve. We look forward to continuing the work with our partners in providing a more seamless, modern and world-class experience for all of our guests.”
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