Left: The Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at LAX
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has agreed to invest in the construction of a Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) and related Baggage Optimization Project (BOP) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California.
The new concourse has been designed as an addition to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) and will include 12 gates in its first phase of construction. The MSC will provide the terminal with further flexibility and gate space by reducing the reliance on remote gates.
Sean Burton, president of the Board of Airport Commissioners, said, “At LAX we are always striving to do a better job getting passengers to their gates as quickly as possible after landing. The board’s support for the midfield concourse is indicative of our desire to continue to improve the passenger experience and provide a welcoming front door for visitors to Los Angeles.”
Deborah Flint, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, the airport operator, said, “Those of us who operate airports expect, and our customers expect, a great experience – one that is safe, and one that is adapted to what passengers require today, which is a technologically advanced and efficient experience.”
The MSC will be built at a cost of approximately US$1.3bn and will contain a wide variety of food and retail options for passengers, as well as additional space for airline lounges. The concourse will connect to TBIT via a 1,000ft passenger tunnel, which will start in a new gateway facility built adjacent to the terminal. The tunnel will feature 42in -thick walls designed to withstand more than 660 tons, the equivalent of a fully loaded A380.
Sustainability will also be a key feature of the new concourse, which has been designed to achieve LEED Silver certification and CAL Green Tier 1 status. The concourse is scheduled for partial completion in late 2019, at which time operational activities will begin. A second phase will add additional gates on the south end of the terminal. Site preparation for the new concourse has already begun with the demolition of the former TWA hangar, to be followed shortly by the demolition of the former US Coast Guard hangar.