USA. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners have agreed to fund a new US$1.3 billion “world-class” Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The facility, designed as an addition to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), will include 12 gates in the first phase of construction.
The MSC will be funded through a combination of revenue bonds and cash. Payments of future years’ debt service on those bonds will be recovered primarily through airline terminal rates and fees, non-aeronautical revenues, and passenger facility charges.
The concourse will include a wide variety of “exciting” food and retail options as well as additional space for airline clubs, according to Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
LAWA said the investment continues a commitment to reinvent Los Angeles International airport (LAX) as the premier US gateway, by voting unanimously to invest in airport infrastructure “that will be at the forefront of innovation and technology”.
[The YouTube video above provides a vision of what awaits passengers when the concourse becomes operational in about three years.]
It said the new concourse was necessary in light of record current and anticipated future passenger growth and an objective to provide a “top-tier” passenger experience. “The MSC will provide the flexibility and gate space that LAX needs, and reduce the reliance on the LAX remote gates where passengers are currently bused to board aircraft,” it said.
“At LAX we are always striving to do a better job getting passengers to their gates as quickly as possible after landing,” said Board of Airport Commissioners President Sean Burton. “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.”
“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,” said Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint. “We will design a concourse with our passengers and their needs, top of mind, and deliver an innovative experience that is first-class.”
LAX is the seventh-busiest airport in the world and third in the USA. It served some 74.9 million passengers in 2015. LAX offers 742 daily non-stop flights to 101 cities in the USA and 1,273 weekly non-stop flights to 76 cities in 41 countries on 64 commercial air carriers.
