Earlier this year, in February to be exact, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) finalized the details of the expansion and renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). The program, which has been dubbed the Bradley West Project, will expand the large aircraft gate capacity with 15 additional gates. The plan will be implemented in 2 phases. Phase 1 involves the refurbishment of the current TBIT, and the addition of two new gates capable of handling the A380. The plan also calls for a new concourse and terminal complex to be built, and connected to via an overhead sky bridge.
Los Angeles Is Getting a World Class Airport!! (Or Terminal at Least)
The initial phase of the plan has already begun, and is scheduled for completion this spring. The refurbishment of TBIT is a much needed project, as it gets medium to poor marks from airlines and passengers. I actually traveled through TBIT a couple years ago, and let me tell you, the place was a mess. The security lines were crowded and inefficient; the interior rather faded. The concourse was so small, that you felt as though you were walking through a terminal for regional aircraft, a fact further underscored by the lack of seating capacity. And eating options were limited to outside security, in a drab mezzanine food court. The new program addresses almost every problem I stated above; the arrivals area is being redone, and expanded. Security is becoming more optimized. The mezzanine food court, while still not inside of security, is at least getting an updated look. And spacing within the concourse will be rationalized by the two new gates.
Los Angeles World Airports had this to say about phase two of the plan:
"During the national and local economic recession, the $1.26-billion construction will create 4,000 jobs over the next four years... The Bradley West Project is composed of approximately 1.25 million square feet of new building area, including food/beverage and retail concessions, new premium lounge space, enlarged Federal Inspection/Customs and Border Protection facilities and other passenger amenities. In addition, the new concourses will contain 15 new boarding gates and enlarged passenger seating/holdroom areas sized to accommodate new-generation aircraft such as the Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet and the Boeing B787 Dreamliner. The new improvements are scheduled for completion in December 2012.... The Bradley West Project will build upon the current $723.5-million renovation of the 30-year-old terminal, which is within budget and scheduled for on-time completion this spring."
The key points from the above statement are the 15 new boarding gates, and completion in 2012. The project will feature a new midfield concourse, located west of the current concourse, and connected only by a sky bridge high enough for the A380. The 15 gates would all have the capacity to handle A380 sized aircraft, and the airport would gain much needed expansion space. The estimated total cost for the project is $2.25 billion.
I am excited about the new terminal, because it will finally make LAX an attractive option for international airlines. The airport had been hemorrhaging passengers due to the unattractive nature of TBIT, a statement which was backed up by an LA Times report in 2007. The terminal is also necessary, as LAX is projected to be the largest airport in the US by A380 operations in the future. Good Job LAX, on finding a terminal to fit your needs.
link da aviationweblog.com
