LAX Set To Undergo Massive Reconfiguration
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) – If you are flying out of Los Angeles International Airport in the coming months, you should be prepared for significant changes to its layout.
From Friday, May 12 to Tuesday, May 16, the airport will undergo a realignment process for 15 airlines, the largest such realignment in LAX history. Fliers are advised to arrive early and monitor terminal and gate information closely.
According to Los Angeles World Airports, over that five-day period, each of the 15 airlines will transfer its operations to a new location overnight. Some will be moving to entirely new terminals.
"The passengers will actually not see the move at all," Los Angeles World Airports CEO Deborah Flint said Friday. "But what will happen is an operation that is one terminal, on say, the night of the 11th. Starting on the 12th, that operation will be in a different terminal."
One of those airlines is Delta. From May 13 to May 16, Delta will be operating out of four terminals: 2, 3, 5 and 6. Fliers are advised to download the Fly Delta app prior to coming to LAX in order to stay informed on any changes.
When the process is complete May 17, Delta will have moved out of terminals 5 and 6 and into terminals 2 and 3. Several other airlines currently in terminals 5 and 6 will be moving into terminals 2 and 3, essentially trading places with Delta, which is in the midst of a $1.9 billion renovation project that includes constructing a sky bridge to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
"During the relocation and in the weeks following, passengers are advised to check-in online, print or download boarding passes, and check terminal and gate information before coming to LAX," L.A. Board of Airport Commissioners President Sean Burton said in a statement. "They should also arrive to the airport earlier than normal."
In total, 21 airlines will be affected by the upcoming realignment. They are:
Air Canada
Allegiant
American
Avianca
Boutique Air
Copa
Delta
Frontier
Hainan
Hawaiian
InterJet
JetBlue
Qatar
Southwest Int'l
Spirit
Sun Country
Thomas Cook
Virgin America
Virgin Australia
Volaris
XL France
The realignment process began in January. In total, 28 of LAX's nearly 70 airlines are involved. The realignment is part of a $14 billion LAX rebuild which started in 2006 and is expected to continue through 2023, is the biggest public works project in L.A. history.
The largest portion of the project's budget, however, is going to build the Landside Access Modernization Project. It will include an elevated people mover more than two miles long. Passengers will be whisked to pick up and drop off spots, a metro station and a new rent-a-car facility.
