Due to heavy overnight construction, limited early morning flight activity, and terminal cleaning and sanitizing protocols, Los Angeles International Airport’s Central Terminal Area (CTA) will be closed to the public nightly between midnight and 5:00am, the airport has announced.
Exceptions to the new rule include: ticketed airline passengers and those meeting, accompanying or assisting them, and airport and city personnel whose employment requires their presence. Airline check-in counters and federal passenger security screening will be open depending upon flight schedules for each terminal.
According to operator Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), this overnight closure mirrors those at similar facilities in Los Angeles and across the country, including Los Angeles Union Station, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey airports, Philadelphia International Airport, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Signage has been posted on and around airport property informing the public of the closure and the FlyLAX.com and LAWA.org websites have been updated accordingly.
LAWA stressed that the night-time closure policy has been in the works since well before the COVID-19 virus was discovered, and is not a response to the virus. However, the closures do give cleaning crews better access to all high-touch areas and restrooms for cleaning and sanitizing.