LOS ANGELES AREA AIRPORTS [Archive] - Page 2

saiholmes

November 18th, 2008, 08:04 AM

L.A. airport officials aim to spread growth beyond LAX
With United planning to drop its Palmdale flights, officials at Los Angeles World Airports say they plan to create an Office of Regionalism to promote passenger growth at Ontario, Burbank, elsewhere.
By Dan Weikel
November 18, 2008

Reacting to United Airlines' decision to pull out of the L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport in December, officials for Los Angeles World Airports on Monday reiterated their support for spreading some of the future growth in air travel to other airports in the region instead of busy LAX.

L.A. airport officials told the Board of Airport Commissioners that they would create an Office of Regionalism, answerable to agency director Gina Marie Lindsey, and continue marketing efforts to encourage airlines to expand flights at other airports, such as L.A/Ontario International, John Wayne in Orange County and Bob Hope in Burbank.

They also said they would support improvements to ground transportation serving those airports, including bus routes, commuter rail lines and high-speed trains, such as the longstanding proposal to build a maglev train to Ontario International.

Los Angeles World Airports owns and operates Los Angeles International Airport, Ontario International Airport, Van Nuys Airport and L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport, which has been struggling for years to retain airline service. Since 1971, eight carriers have come and gone from Palmdale.

In September, United announced that it would discontinue its four flights a day from Palmdale to San Francisco starting Dec. 7. Flights have been less than a third full since operations started in June 2007.

Ontario International, which has been a showcase of regionalism for the airport agency, is suffering some of the worst passenger declines in the nation for an airport its size due to the economic recession and a major downturn in the airline industry.

This fall, airlines are expected to cut available seats at Ontario by roughly a third, a trend that is expected to continue into next year.

The airport agency's action coincides with a recent announcement by the city of Palmdale that it would assume the leases for Palmdale airport facilities and take primary responsibility for attracting passenger service to the airport. Los Angeles World Airports has leased the land for Palmdale's terminal, parking lot and taxiways from the U.S. Air Force and has had an agreement to use the Air Force runway for commercial flights.

Airport Commissioner Walter Zifkin cautioned that the policy to regionalize air travel needs to be balanced to allow for growth at LAX as well as the regional airports.

LAX served about 62 million passengers last year, but is forecast to handle less than 55 million next year. The airport's unofficial cap is 78.5 million passengers.

"I want to make sure that LAX is supported," he said. "It's a major economic engine for the region and needs to be preserved."

Zifkin also defended the airport agency, saying that recent complaints from L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and Palmdale officials that the agency had not done enough to promote regionalism are misplaced. "We have made every effort to get air service at Palmdale, but it just hasn't happened," he said.

Weikel is a Times staff writer.

saiholmes

November 18th, 2008, 08:17 AM

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveils modernization plan for LAX
The plan, which could cost $5 billion to $6 billion, focuses on rebuilding the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
By Dan Weikel
November 18, 2008

For the third time in less than a decade, a Los Angeles mayor and airport leaders on Monday unveiled a grand architectural plan for the expansion and modernization of Los Angeles International Airport, which has not been significantly remodeled since 1984.

City officials say the projects, which include a major face-lift for the Tom Bradley International Terminal, are needed to enhance the travel experience for passengers and preserve one of the region's main economic engines.

"Today marks a milestone in our effort to modernize the hub of the region's air transportation system and restore it to the premier international gateway the airlines need and the City of Angels deserves," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.

The plan's architectural models and renderings were unveiled during a ceremony at the airport's Flight Path Learning Center attended by airline executives, elected officials and business leaders.

The conceptual plans were designed by Fentress Associates, a Denver-based architectural firm perhaps best known in this country for its work on the national museum of the U.S. Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., and Denver International Airport, which has a peaked roof that evokes the image of the Rocky Mountains.

Using the region's natural landscape as inspiration, Curt Fentress said, the concepts for LAX capture the city's sense of place. The sloping roof lines of the glass-and-steel terminals, for example, are evocative of breaking waves at the beach.

"We want to change LAX into L.A. wow," Fentress said.

Highlighted on Monday were conceptual plans for the Bradley terminal, a cross-field taxiway, a midfield concourse for domestic and international flights and a passenger processing facility immediately across from the Bradley.

According to the dramatic renderings, the Bradley and midfield concourse will be linked by a soaring sky bridge over the cross-field taxiway, giving passengers panoramic views of the ocean, mountains and city skyline.

Airport officials say they expect to finish the projects by 2013 at a cost of $5 billion to $6 billion, though that could go substantially higher.

The centerpiece of the modernization and its priority is the overhaul of the Bradley, including the reconstruction of two concourses, new gates on the west to accommodate large commercial aircraft (such as the Airbus A-380) and a central hall offering shopping, restaurants and lounges.

Gina Marie Lindsey, director of Los Angeles World Airports, estimated that the taxiway and Bradley improvements will cost roughly $2 billion, though she acknowledged they could go higher depending on the final design. Some estimates have been as high as $4 billion.

Lindsey said the gates on the north side of the Bradley terminal should be finished by January 2012, while those on the south side should be completed by September of that year.

"We are one step closer to making L.A. the home of a world-class international airport," said Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn. "We haven't done anything at this airport since 1984."

The modernization plan does face substantial hurdles, including declining passenger volumes. Airlines, which have been dramatically cutting service, are increasingly concerned about airports' raising their fees to help finance improvements. The nation's credit crisis also has made it difficult for major airports to pay for new terminals and runways.

In the most recent example, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been unable to sell $600 million in municipal bonds for a new terminal. At LAX, the number of passengers is projected to fall below 55 million next year, down at least 13 million since 2000.

Lindsey said the airport will finance the modernization with higher landing fees, bonds, revenue from airport concessions and seed money from a portion of $850 million in bonds sold by LAWA earlier this year. She said she was confident LAWA can afford the projects.

But Frank Clark, executive director of LAXTEC, an organization that represents international airlines at LAX, said the projects need to be cost-effective and that LAWA must settle its protracted dispute with the airlines over rental rates.

"It's a good vision. You just can't have a substandard experience as a passenger," Clark said of the conceptual plans. "But we remain concerned about costs."

Assuming the Bradley improvements run $2 billion, the cost for each of the 12 new gates is about $167 million, high for gate construction today, according to consultants.

The last major remodeling of LAX occurred just before L.A. hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Bradley terminal was built along with an elevated roadway to serve departing passengers. Over the years, passengers have given low ratings to the facility in consumer surveys.

The first major renovation and modernization plan was proposed during Mayor Richard Riordan's administration. Plans revealed in 2000 called for accommodating up to 100 million passengers a year.

Four years later, Mayor James K. Hahn unveiled an $11-billion plan that included a ground transportation center outside the airport boundaries and a tram system to get travelers to and from the airport. Lawsuits and opposition from elected officials and community activists stalled both plans.

Weikel is a Times staff writer.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-11/43433350.jpg

Westsidelife

November 18th, 2008, 08:51 AM

All of this will be enough to upstage SFO.

Westsidelife

November 18th, 2008, 10:00 AM

Okay, I guess I have to admit that that's pretty cool and may be worth the expansion. Just wanna make sure though, it's not expanding north or west is it?

And also, are the lit-up-blue things the new places or will they actually be lit up like that?

The plans call for expanding the airport further west.

There is also the possibility of extending the northermost runway further north, though another option would be to move the southern runway on the North Airfield south towards Terminals 1, 2, and 3. The three terminals would be demolished and replaced with a new, smaller concourse.

jessemh431

November 18th, 2008, 10:09 AM

The plans call for expanding the airport further west.

There is also the possibility of extending the northermost runway further north, though another option would be to move the southern runway on the North Airfield south towards Terminals 1, 2, and 3. The three terminals would be demolished and replaced with a new, smaller concourse.

SOUTH!!!:cheers:

Westsidelife

November 18th, 2008, 10:23 AM

all the terminals should look like that. i wish LAX would still be a 100million passenger airport that'll set us up for the next 30 to 40 years. rather than a decade or two.

When push comes to shove, we can add another one or two concourses west of the future midfield satellite concourse. There's lots of room for expansion.

phattonez

November 18th, 2008, 05:12 PM

SOUTH!!!:cheers:

I guess you live by there? Let me ask you. If you live next to an airport, why do you oppose them moving the northern most runway further north? I mean after all, they're just trying to do this for safety.

aquablue

November 18th, 2008, 11:36 PM

The vaulted cielings are very impressive...

However, I see they left the original part of the bradley terminal there, is that right? What is the new blue building on the other side of the Bradley terminal? Is that part of the same terminal?

croyboy

November 19th, 2008, 05:34 AM

^^ part of it. just the entrance really. it did have two wings to the building

xXFallenXx

November 19th, 2008, 07:41 AM

Do i see some mass transit in those models?

saiholmes

November 19th, 2008, 08:39 AM

On the way.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/2919374014_2096d4afeb_b.jpg

jessemh431

November 19th, 2008, 08:55 AM

I guess you live by there? Let me ask you. If you live next to an airport, why do you oppose them moving the northern most runway further north? I mean after all, they're just trying to do this for safety.
Until you live here you will never understand why. We can't have windows open sometimes because you have to completely stop conversations once in a while to let planes go by. Imagine if they move that 300ft north. And, I bet they take more homes and land.

Before you say I should have thought about this before I moved here, don't. My parents did before LAX became one of the busiest airports in the country and world, when this was the only place most could afford near the beach.

As I type this I can hear them taking off through my double-paned windows. I can't wait for the day I move out for college and live a peaceful life...:lol::nuts: But seriously, the planes can drive you insane sometimes. With windows open, the TV must be blasting or you miss half the show.

jessemh431

November 19th, 2008, 08:58 AM

Why don't we build a line along Sepulveda/the 4o5 and have an LAX stop where passengers could transfer to a monorail type thing that Vegas has at McCaren (sp?)? The route that the 405 and Sepulveda take desperately need help easing the horrible traffc.

phattonez

November 19th, 2008, 09:48 AM

You live next to an airport, what did you expect? Those people have no right to complain.

Westsidelife

November 19th, 2008, 10:11 AM

LAX Modernization Unveiled (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11010607)

The plan includes 32 new gates that could accommodate newer, super-wide jetliners.

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
November 17, 2008

City officials on Monday unveiled a modernization plan for Los Angeles International Airport that would cost an estimated $5 billion to $7 billion and pay homage to the Pacific Ocean.

Plans call for a dramatic remodeling of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and a new Midfield Satellite Concourse, resulting in the addition of 32 new airline gates capable of accommodating newer, wide-bodied jetliners.

"Today marks a major milestone in our effort to modernize this hub of the region's transportation system and to restore its status as an international gateway during a challenging era of aviation," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said during a news conference at LAX.

"It's an eye-opening vision," he said. "It's truly a vision to behold, representing the best of Los Angeles."

The first phase, set for completion in mid-2013, calls for remodeling the Bradley terminal and building six new aircraft gates capable of handling super-jumbo jets, such as the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. By 2012, LAX is expected to serve more A380 flights than any other airport in North America.

Plans also call for building a new passenger processing center, several taxiways and a people mover tram that winds its way around the entire airport.

While a timeline remains unclear, construction of the proposed Midfield Satellite Concourse would begin sometime after the Bradley project, according to airport officials.

"We are finally one step closer to realizing our dream of making Los Angeles, once again, the home of a world-class international airport, an airport that not only meets the needs of the airlines, but exceeds the expectations of air travelers," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who chairs the council committee that oversees LAX.

The proposed exterior design celebrates the airport's proximity to the beach. Curved stainless steel panels give the appearance of waves lapping at the terminal's rooftop. Large windows and skylights allow natural sunlight to pour into the passenger walkways.

Tall, white parabolic arches - similar to those of the iconic Theme Building - are incorporated into a two-level bridge connecting the Bradley terminal to the new midfield terminal. Travelers can opt to ride a train on the bridge's lower level, or stroll along an automated pedestrian walkway on the upper level. Viewing lounges at each end of the bridge provide views of downtown, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The modernistic, beach- themed concept was based on comments gathered during a series of community meetings, according to Denver-based architect Curtis Fentress, who was awarded a $41.5 million, three-year design contract earlier this year.

"One of the things people really wanted was a modern building, they wanted an experience for the passenger that would be dramatic and exciting, something that people would go home and tell their friends about," Fentress said. "They wanted it to be emblematic of L.A."

The city of Los Angeles has spent more than $250 million over the past 15 years developing airport modernization plans backed by Villaraigosa and two of his predecessors. Construction of the Bradley terminal and the second-level roadway were the last major changes made at LAX, completed just before the 1984 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles.

Airport and city officials said they remain optimistic about completing the Bradley terminal renovations within a tight, self-imposed five-year deadline.

The national recession has forced other airports across the country to scale back, postpone or completely scrub similar capital improvement projects. The project also comes as fewer travelers are passing through LAX.

The airport served nearly 68 million passengers at its peak in 2000, but is projected to handle about 59 million by the end of this year - the lowest level in 12 years.

If the airport isn't quickly modernized, then international carriers might move flights to other airports, resulting in more passenger losses and a potential hit to the regional economy, said Samuel Garrison, vice president of public policy for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

"This is absolutely vital to ensuring Los Angeles' position as a world-class destination and a global economic leader," Garrison said. "We don't really have any options if we want to keep flights and money coming in, so making sure this is done the right way is going to be a win for the entire region."

klamedia

November 20th, 2008, 12:00 AM

LAsam

November 20th, 2008, 02:27 AM

Any word on renovating all the other domestic terminals? One or two of them are on par with a Greyhound station.

flying_olympic

November 20th, 2008, 06:44 AM

^^ I think Terminal 3 is being renovated as we speak. I was at LAX last week, and past by T3. It was completely gutted out. The paint on the walls and the tiling were gone. It seemed the terminal check-in area was closed. So I don't know where the Alaska Air check-in counters are located now.

milquetoast

November 20th, 2008, 09:07 AM

Huge public works project after project. The 2010's is going to be yet another re-invention of the city that never loves to live on the edge of tragedy and destruction and doesn't quite know who she really wants to be. Of course all of this from massive transportation upgrades, to airport remodeling to further densification and city planning should have been done decades ago but the Tragic Beauty, The Beautiful Mess which is Los Angeles attempts to save herself from herself yet again.

Bravo, Klams, bravo. Such resplendent passion. I love your feathery prose!

CITYofDREAMS

November 20th, 2008, 10:14 PM

Huge public works project after project. The 2010's is going to be yet another re-invention of the city that loves to live on the edge of tragedy and destruction and doesn't quite know who she really wants to be. Of course all of this from massive transportation upgrades, to airport remodeling to further densification and city planning should have been done decades ago but the Tragic Beauty, The Beautiful Mess which is Los Angeles attempts to save herself from herself yet again.

Would she succeed? It's amazing that under this economic enviroment LA keeps planning these massive projects.
I'm really hoping that Lindsey gets this LAX modernization version done... We deserve this LAWow airport.

LAsam

November 21st, 2008, 02:56 AM

milquetoast

November 21st, 2008, 05:07 AM

My interest is peaked, but I must warn: It, whatever it is, must be done right, and done right the first time. Otherwise you're stuck with a piece of shit for at least thirty years. Some of those details in the construction of the new airport seem ordinary. Airports around the world are dipping into the extraordinary and, as Westsidelife had stated earlier about every project not necessarily having architectural passion, I believe a city's airport (First impression) needs to be extraordinary. Just don't fuck it up.

klamedia

November 21st, 2008, 09:36 AM

I think the latest airport renovations look pretty good.

Westsidelife

November 21st, 2008, 11:59 AM

More photos...

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/bb8bd33f.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/1fb3a8a2.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/1a2965ed.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/63463c45.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/b57bedd6.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/aa03eabf.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/1a33c254.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/56fdccce.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/d39916eb.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/7ae78952.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/2ac80edf.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/97586c97.jpg
By bruin787

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll277/bruin787/2b02ee24.jpg
By bruin787

milquetoast

November 21st, 2008, 12:18 PM

croyboy

November 21st, 2008, 05:00 PM

noone would like grass flying around to be mowed, nor the bugs that would all attract. and chances are the port gets sued for someone dying from inhaling a blade of grass... "this just in, LAX in trouble again"

soup or man

November 21st, 2008, 07:29 PM

I would love to see nothing but trees in those concourses. Ohh, maybe even grass. Can you imagine running past groundskeepers mowing lawns while you're trying to catch your flight. Seriously, I think big, conventional trees, as well as palms of course, should be implemented. Now THAT would be different! Not diggin' the corrugated sheet metal look though...

You want grass, you should go outside. People don't go to airports to look at grass. I do think however that plants (and lots of them) should be implemented. As well as fountains.

I mean look at LAX now.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Lax_bradley_at_2am.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/LAX-International-checkin.JPG
Boring. Cold. Dull.

I want LAX to be something along the lines of Singapore Changi International Airport.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Singapore_Changi_Airport%2C_Terminal_1%2C_Departure_Hall_7%2C_Dec_05.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/SINT3.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Changi_Airport%2C_Terminal_2%2C_Restricted_Area_9.JPG

Lush. Vibrant. Inviting. Fun!

klamedia

November 21st, 2008, 09:05 PM

I think the renderings present a much more impressive airport than that.^^

soup or man

November 21st, 2008, 09:15 PM

The skybridge needs work though. However, I'm sure that the designs will be modified a bit before (during) construction. I don't want LAX to look like any other airport but I want it to move to world class status in terms of design. It's much too grey and concrete. It's a bit telling that aside from the Theme Building, LAX's most noticeable features are the giant glow sticks. Speaking of them, I would love to see them install LED lights so they can be even more vibrant.

Ichiban

November 21st, 2008, 09:42 PM

How bad does LAX need an overhaul? Whenever I fly down I hit up Burbank Airport so I don't even remember the last time I've been there.

Westsidelife

November 22nd, 2008, 12:36 AM

^ It is often referred to as a third world dump. I wouldn't be surprised if most people thought of it as the worst major airport in the country.

soup or man

November 22nd, 2008, 12:51 AM

Keep in mind that the last time LAX was upgraded was 1984 to make way for the Olympics. We are LONG overdue for a upgrade.

Westsidelife

November 22nd, 2008, 12:59 AM

milquetoast

November 22nd, 2008, 07:44 AM

The 'shells' are uniform all across the entirety of the upgrade. They're all about the same size, they all point, tilt and lean in the same direction and they all have exposed elements on the interior. Girders with white paint I assume, holding up corrugated aluminum, much like the aluminum sheets that Wolverine's people lay down before the concrete is poured. At least have them of differing sizes, aligning in different directions and maybe, just maybe have the girders replaced with structural beams that don't look like they came straight off a construction site. Have them holding up panes of frosted glass instead to let diffused light in to keep all the trees alive. Make it look a little organic for a change. Fruit trees would be nice. Lemon and Orange. What says California more than that? Just spray some melathion and DDT. Please, what's the big deal?

milquetoast

November 22nd, 2008, 07:51 AM

Remember Rem Koolhaas and what he was going to do for the County museum? How about an intricate framework holding up tent-like sails? They could be of any shape, take an earthquake and protect from the elements. Tents have only been around for a billion years and are time tested. Instead of a museum setting, which was inappropriate, I think passengers would have liked the Koolhaas idea here at L A X. Seems exotic. Just don't skimp on materials. Much, much better looking if done right. The way it is now looks so community college-ish.

soup or man

November 24th, 2008, 11:18 PM

What's wrong with the skybridge?

As for the rest of the design, the general look of it is great but could use some tweaking. Something about the 'Great Hall' isn't working for me.

The skybridge doesn't really mesh with the other aspects. It isn't awful it just needs to be implemented better.

croyboy

November 25th, 2008, 06:21 AM

actually, to me the skybridge looks very LAX. the jetsons restaurant for example. they look alot alike.

milquetoast

November 25th, 2008, 10:31 AM

Actually, these corrugated tin shells look like they're poised to support a future phalanx of solar array. May I be so bold as to suggest that?

saiholmes

January 4th, 2009, 04:42 AM

Is Long Beach airport for sale?

There is something intriguing going on at Long Beach City Hall over potentially big plans for the city's airport. Faced with a deficit, the City Council on Monday will consider what City Manager Pat West would describe only as "some lease opportunities." The closed-session item on the council's itinerary mentions a "lease or acquisition" of the airport. One councilwoman says she worries that the city is trying to sell the airport to investors. More from the Press-Telegram:

West said Friday that the city had been contacted by a slew of financial companies interested in an airport deal, including notable potential investors such as Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, according to the meeting agenda. When asked whether the airport's sale is on the table, West said only that the meeting is about "leasing opportunities," but wouldn't explicitly say that it isn't about selling the airport. City officials aren't allowed to discuss the details of closed session items. "We have an opportunity to investigate some lease opportunities at the airport," West said. "We want to gauge the City Council's interest before we spend any time looking at these opportunities."

LB Report has more on possible "privatization" of the airport -- and urges the city to hold the discussion in public.

-- Shelby Grad
5:36 PM, January 3, 2009

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/bottleneck/index.html

milquetoast

January 4th, 2009, 11:44 AM

^^ I'm guessing LB isn't the moneymaker L A X is. I just saw this airport interior on a cooking show! Take a look at Barajas, in Madrid http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/fullflow1-1.jpg fullflow.comHere's some of the interior under construction. It has a textile feel but is obviously not. It's just styled to look that way, out of bamboo! I was thinking that we could do this WITH heavy duty canvas, in much the same way LACMA once considered a while ago with Rem Koolhaas. http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/beckyswebcouk-1.jpgbeckysweb.co.uk The infrastructure here is stylized and actually looks good as opposed to the current design for the concourses at L A X. These structures look more than sturdy enough to hold the 'fabric', the canvas roof would be earthquake proof and the fabric itself would let light in everywhere in a diffused fashion, leaving everyone who comes and goes in Los Angeles looking good http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-happy-smileys-832.gif (http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/Free-Happy-Smileys/) http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/arch10207formula.jpg arch102-07.form-ula.com http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/BarajasAirportInterior_530x710.jpg architecture.com (^^ The things with the holes in the middle of the baggage claim carousels are air conditioning)

phattonez

January 6th, 2009, 02:38 AM

Are airports just government's pet projects where they can show that they're better than other countries? Whatever happened to function over form?

saiholmes

January 7th, 2009, 07:56 AM

Long Beach council plans hearing on airport privatization
Members had intended to discuss the possibility of leasing the field to private investors in closed session but got complaints about lack of transparency.
By Dan Weikel
7:51 PM PST, January 6, 2009

The Long Beach City Council will hold a public hearing on whether or not to lease its commercial airport to private investors after critics called for greater "transparency" in the important policy discussion.

The council had planned to discuss the matter in closed session Tuesday, but the officials voted instead to hold a public workshop after three council members and four citizens protested. The hearing will occur at a later date.

"I object to the closed session," said William Pearl, editor and publisher of LBReport.com, a local news website. "This is designed to keep a major policy decision secret."

Late last year, the city received unsolicited inquiries about the sale or lease of Long Beach Airport assets from major banks and Wall Street firms, including Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley.

Supporters of airport privatization say it is a good way for local governments to raise substantial amounts of money. Long Beach is facing a $15.7-million revenue shortfall this year.

At Tuesday's council meeting, citizens questioned the excuse from city officials that real estate transactions were going to be addressed, hence the discussion could be closed to the public under the Ralph M. Brown Act, the state's open meetings law.

"This is not a real estate transaction," said Melinda Cotton, a Long Beach citizen who addressed the council. "I don't like the lack of transparency. The airport is the most controversial and litigious issue to come before this city."

Much of the controversy has involved the expansion of flight operations and an airport noise ordinance, which resulted after a 12-year court battle between community groups and the city.

Westsidelife

January 23rd, 2009, 08:57 AM

LAX Chief Says Bring Trains to Airport (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11476660)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
January 16, 2009

The head of Los Angeles International Airport said she supports efforts to extend the Metro Green Line but remained frustrated that the train won't directly connect with airline terminals.

"The plans for bringing it into the airport sound better than they are because they don't actually bring the Green Line into the central terminal area," Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of LAX, said Thursday during a luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum.

For now, the Green Line ends about two miles from LAX, forcing commuters to take a brief bus ride to the airport.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's plan calls for extending the Green Line to nearby Manchester Square. From there, travelers would board a people mover to gain access to the airport terminals.

"That's fine, because it certainly gets you a lot closer to the airport, and that's a good thing, but you still need to get off the Green Line and onto some other conveyance to get into the central terminal area," she said. "We're in support of it, but let's understand it's not as perfect as if we did this from scratch."

MTA spokesman Rick Jager did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment about Lindsey's statements.

The Green Line opened in 1995 at a cost of $700 million, running 20 miles from Norwalk to Redondo Beach, but bypassing LAX by about two miles.

Initial plans called for extending the Green Line to LAX as soon as 2015, but a revised report from the MTA notes that the project won't be completed until sometime from 2018 to 2022 at an estimated cost of $400 million.

LAX officials said the airport's current layout would make it difficult to extend the Green Line directly into the central terminal area. Lindsey lamented that her predecessors should have had the foresight to allow for better access to public transportation. Most large cities have rail lines that directly connect to their airports.

"As a general rule, I think mass transit as a connection to major airports is an absolute must," she said. "If you were building an airport today, you would want a rail line to make it efficient."

jessemh431

January 23rd, 2009, 09:08 AM

Why not have a transfer station somewhere on LAX grounds from the Green Line to an electric tram type dealio that would circle the airport and have a stop in each terminal. Then wrap around the airport and go back to the Green Line.

milquetoast

January 23rd, 2009, 10:11 AM

Because that would be to damned logical jesse...

jessemh431

January 23rd, 2009, 10:18 AM

Oh...:wallbash:...Stupid, stupid, stupid me!!

milquetoast

January 23rd, 2009, 10:53 AM

Man, you gotta learn how to think 'outside' the box.

Juan12345

January 26th, 2009, 04:45 AM

Good Aiports, Greetings from Guatemala( http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=737890 )

milquetoast

January 26th, 2009, 05:45 AM

Ola, Juan uno dos tres quatro cinco!

xXFallenXx

January 26th, 2009, 05:46 AM

Tengo un gran cerdo en mis pantalones.

milquetoast

January 26th, 2009, 06:00 AM

I have your 'cerdo' right here- back on topic, Fallen

milquetoast

January 26th, 2009, 06:39 AM

Airbus A380 is a mixed blessing for LAX
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/untitledsdsdaa.jpg
Other planes seem small next to the Airbus A380 taxiing to its gate at LAX. Because of the plane's size, the airport must take special precautions every time one takes off or lands.
The immense plane causes problems at L.A.'s airport, but in the world of aviation, bigger is considered better, so LAX copes.

January 25, 2009
Every time Qantas lands one of its giant Airbus A380s at LAX, parts of the nation's fourth-busiest airport come to a halt.

Service roads, taxiways and runways must be closed to airfield trucks, cars and other commercial aircraft as the world's largest passenger plane -- with wings almost as long as a football field -- arrives, departs and taxis with an official escort of operations vehicles.

The plane is so immense that air traffic controllers give it priority so it doesn't have to wait for takeoff at the end of the airport's southern runways in cloudy or foggy weather because it can disrupt radio signals from the airport's instrument landing system.

More than any other airliner, LAX officials say, the A380 requires special procedures because Los Angeles International Airport was not built to accommodate a plane of its size.

Despite occasional griping from airlines, LAX, Qantas, and Federal Aviation Administration officials say that A380 operations have gone fairly well since October, when the Australian carrier began service to Los Angeles from Melbourne and Sydney.

But air traffic controllers and LAX officials caution that as airlines put more A380s into service, they could hamper airport operations and delay other commercial flights if improvements to runways, taxiways and terminals are not made in the next few years. Based on Air Transport Assn. figures, every minute of delay for an airliner carrying 150 people costs the carrier and passengers an average total of $152, including the value of fuel, crew time, lost productivity and other expenses.

Air traffic controllers at LAX say the current procedures work because A380s have priority, there are only one or two planes a day and the airport isn't as busy as it once was. Since 2000, the average number of daily takeoffs and landings has dropped from about 2,150 to 1,500 because of declines in air travel after 9/11, high aviation fuel prices last summer and the nation's sagging economy.

"The whole process is cumbersome and will cause problems down the road," said air traffic controller Mike Foote, a local representative of the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. "If we go back to pre- recession operations levels, the situation would be untenable. There would be gridlock."

Controllers say the potential for delay could increase dramatically with the addition of four or five A380 flights a day.

Airbus officials disagree. Years were spent developing adequate procedures, they say, and operational improvements have occurred as airports have become accustomed to the airplane. If runways, taxiways and service roads have to be closed, it is only for "a very short time," said Dan Cohen-Nir, program manager for Airbus North America Holdings Inc.

"The good news is that there's been a long-standing collaboration between Airbus, air traffic control, the FAA and airport officials," Cohen-Nir said. "It is a challenge. LAX was designed before the [Boeing 747 jumbo jet]. In some places, LAX is substandard for even those aircraft."

Qantas flies an A380 into LAX on Mondays through Fridays, though there are exceptions to the schedule. A May 2008 study by Los Angeles World Airports indicated that Qantas and five other international carriers wanted to put at least 10 A380s into service at LAX by 2012, but an unprecedented downturn in the airline industry and a deepening global recession could derail those plans.

LAX "has been plain fantastic in this whole thing," said Roger Lindeman, a Qantas vice president in charge of airport operations in the United States, Canada, and South America. "These planes are the future of long-haul aviation. Airports need to be ready for them."

The A380 is a big plane -- a destination in itself, Lindeman says. The wingspan is about 262 feet, and the tail is 80 feet high. The maximum takeoff weight is 1.2 million pounds. The double-deck design can carry 450 to 853 passengers and 50% more cargo than most other commercial aircraft.

In contrast, a Boeing 747-400 can seat 416 to 660 people. The wingspan is 211 feet, and the tail is 64 feet high. The maximum takeoff weight is about 875,000 pounds. Next to the bulky Airbus, the 747 looks streamlined.

So far, about a dozen airports in North America have had an interest in the A380, but only two have accepted the plane -- John F. Kennedy International in New York and LAX. San Francisco International Airport, which was the stage for a Qantas demonstration flight last week, is preparing to begin A380 operations.

About $100 million has been spent at LAX to accommodate the next generation of large aircraft, including the A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the 747-8. About $50 million has been spent for taxiway improvements and another $50 million for two A380 gates -- one at each end of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

But unlike at JFK and San Francisco, getting the plane into and out of LAX is governed by a long list of special procedures, such as an entourage of four or five airport vehicles that set up temporary roadblocks as the aircraft taxis.

"The plane creates issues we have to deal with," said Jeff Cunnyngham, the FAA operations supervisor at LAX. "Whenever an A380 is moving, we put on extra people to watch the process. We make sure the tower is fully staffed."

If an A380 flies into or out of the airport, aircraft behind it must maintain a longer distance because of strong wake turbulence, swirling air that can cause a trailing plane to go out of control. Heavy jets like a 747 must stay at least six miles away, while light planes must maintain a distance of 10 miles.

LAX operates with four parallel runways that are intersected by taxiways leading to the terminals. When an A380 is moving along one taxiway toward the south runway complex, landings and departures on the inner runway must stop briefly because one of the wings intrudes into the runway's safety zone, an area that must remain clear of obstacles. A parallel service road must be closed as well, causing trucks and cars to back up as the aircraft lumbers to the Bradley terminal. Similarly, a service road must be closed if an A380 is operating on the airport's northern runway complex. On the north side, the airport has received FAA permission to land the A380 on its 150-foot-wide runways. Normally, the FAA requires a width of 200 feet for a plane that size.

When the A380 taxis from its gate on the south side of the Bradley terminal to its maintenance area for routine servicing on the north side of LAX, it must use one of the airport's two north-south taxiways, which are next to each other. The wings are so wide that aircraft are prohibited from using the other taxiway until the A380 passes.

Cunnyngham estimates that runway closures can last three to five minutes, while road closures last five to 10 minutes.

In addition, FAA procedures state than when an A380 is stopped on certain taxiways, nearby runways must be closed to departures and arrivals because its 80-foot tail juts into an area that must remain free of obstacles. Also, air traffic controllers say that when the plane lands or takes off, taxiways between runways must remain clear of other aircraft because the wings jut into safety zones.

"For the most part, the A380 does not create many problems when it arrives and departs in the off-peak hours, but it could create delays if it starts operating in significant numbers," said Bruce W. Kinsler, a former FAA air traffic control specialist who has studied the effects of A380s and other large commercial aircraft on airports.

Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, says the A380 underscores the need to proceed with key elements of the LAX modernization plan or risk losing flights to other airports. The projects include new gates at the Bradley terminal, a wider cross-field taxiway and a mid-field concourse that would eliminate the need to bus international travelers from remote gates to the main customs and immigration facility.

A controversial proposal to reconfigure the north runway complex could increase the distances between taxiways, two runways and service roads. The plan, which is being studied, calls for moving the outboard runway 300 feet to the north to make room for a center taxiway.

"If we are delayed on the Bradley gates and the cross-field taxiway, we would have a fairly significant congestion issue," Lindsey said. "We would end up having the A380s at the remote gates -- an awful experience for travelers."

dan.weikel@latimes.com photo Allen J. Schaben Dan Weikel Los Angeles Times

milquetoast

January 29th, 2009, 10:09 AM

JetBlue Airways to begin flying out of LAX http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/businessweek.jpg businessweek
The carrier, which has drawn a loyal following at Long Beach Airport, will offer daily nonstop service from Los Angeles to Boston and New York's JFK airport.
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/mccanntacom.jpg mccannta.com
January 29, 2009
JetBlue Airways Corp. was expected to announce today that it would begin flying out of Los Angeles International Airport, with daily nonstop service to Boston and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The service, which is expected to begin in late spring, could help ignite a transcontinental fare war at LAX, especially for flights to Boston.

Two carriers -- American and United -- now offer four daily flights from LAX to Boston's Logan International Airport. A third airline, Virgin America, plans to begin Boston service next month, with fares starting at $149 one-way.

Four airlines currently operate 26 nonstop flights a day from LAX to New York.

JetBlue, which has drawn a loyal following at Long Beach Airport with lower fares and newer jets than many other airlines, had hoped to start the LAX service last May. But the carrier grounded the idea after fuel costs got so high that it could not operate the flights without incurring losses. Fuel prices are now at less than half of what they were in May.

At LAX, JetBlue is expected to use Terminal 6, which just a few months ago was occupied by start-up Virgin America. That airline has moved to larger quarters at Terminal 3.
peter.pae@latimes.com Peter Pae Los Angeles Times

jessemh431

January 29th, 2009, 10:17 AM

I love JetBlue. Can't wait till they come out here. We used to fly JB a lot to Vegas, SF, and once or twice to Upstate NY. IDK we don't anymore. I guess LBC is just too far when i live like a 30 second drive from LAX property, 5-10 minutes from the terminals.

Westsidelife

February 12th, 2009, 07:47 AM

LAX Board OKs Review of Taxiway Plan (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11666839)

From staff and news services
February 10, 2009

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved an environmental review Monday for the crossfield taxiway project at LAX, clearing the way for the first major step in its modernization program.

The airport plans to spend about $150 million on a large new taxiway that can more easily accommodate the Airbus A380, which began service in October.

The taxiway is also a necessary step toward building a major expansion and modernization of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Los Angeles airport officials are seeking federal stimulus funding for the entire cost of the project, said Gina-Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports.

Construction is expected to begin within a few months, and will involve demolishing several buildings and constructing a new fire rescue station at Los Angeles International.

The environmental report was approved unanimously, and without controversy.

S_OC

February 13th, 2009, 12:09 AM

Travel & Leisure released their 10 best and worst airports in the US.

LAX was #10 for the BEST!

Followed by a tie between Phoenix, Tampa, Seattle for #7. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Washington DC DCA, and Oakland were tied for #3. Portland was #2. #1 went to Salt Lake City.

Worst airports were (from 10-1)
Chicago Midway
Atlanta
NY JFK
San Francisco
Washington Dulles
NY LaGuardia
Dallas/Fort Worth
Miami
Newark
and the worst...
Chicago O'Hare

You can read the story here (http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=878541)

saiholmes

February 13th, 2009, 04:07 AM

Talks on leasing Long Beach Airport are shelved
Officials say the privatization proposals have been placed on the back burner, at least temporarily, because of lack of interest by the City Council.
By Dan Weikel
The Los Angeles Times
February 12, 2009

Further discussions about leasing all or part of the Long Beach Airport to private investors have been shelved, at least temporarily, because of a lack of interest on the City Council, municipal officials said Wednesday.

"Our plate is full right now, and a lot of things are happening," said Long Beach City Manager Patrick West. Privatization of the airport "went to the back burner."

Council members had planned to discuss the matter in closed session Jan. 6, but they voted instead to hold a public hearing after three council members and four citizens complained that secrecy should not surround such an important policy discussion. The hearing was postponed to a later date, but never scheduled.

Late last year, the city received unsolicited inquiries about the sale or lease of Long Beach Airport assets from major banks and Wall Street firms, including Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley.

Long Beach Airport serves about 3 million commercial airline passengers a year and is home to a variety of private aircraft and aviation-related businesses.

Supporters of airport privatization say it is a good way for local governments to raise substantial amounts of money. Because of the economic downturn, Long Beach is facing a projected $15.7-million revenue shortfall this year.

The only commercial airport in the nation now considering privatization is Chicago Midway, which served about 17 million commercial passengers last year. The Federal Aviation Administration is evaluating a proposed 99-year lease to a consortium of investors that would provide about $2.5 billion to the city of Chicago.

A decision to approve the plan has been postponed until April because financial arrangements are still being negotiated.

saiholmes

February 13th, 2009, 04:08 AM

milquetoast

February 13th, 2009, 04:45 AM

Travel & Leisure released their 10 best and worst airports in the US.
LAX was #10 for the BEST!

These lists are something

soup or man

February 13th, 2009, 10:20 PM

We're number 10!

Doesn't matter though. We are long overdue for a upgrade.

saiholmes

February 14th, 2009, 07:05 AM

Edit

Gianny

February 14th, 2009, 06:34 PM

If and when High Speed Rail is build, I firmly believe that Palmdale Airport will finally develop into an important International Airport that could serve Vegas, Central Cali and Southern Cali.

Westsidelife

February 18th, 2009, 04:10 AM

Magazine Honors LAX Ocean-Inspired Design (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11723279)

By Staff Writer
February 17, 2009

The ocean-inspired concept for remodeling the international terminal at LAX was named one of the state's 10 most promising architectural projects by California Home and Design magazine, it was announced today.

Fentress Architects came up with the idea of designing rooftops resembling crashing waves and other elements inspired by the nearby Pacific. The arches of Los Angeles International Airport's iconic theme building also are incorporated into the overall design.

"This distinction proclaims that we are on the right track in terms of modernizing LAX, dramatically enhancing the passenger experience and reestablishing the airport as a modern U.S. gateway in a competitive global market," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports.

The project is expected to cost $2 billion to $3 billion. Fentress Architects won a $41.5 million, three-year contract to design the west side of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and a midfield concourse.

The Bradley West project will take about seven years to complete.

The firm also designed Denver International Airport, where the roof is adorned with white fiberglass peaks to represent the Rocky Mountains.

milquetoast

February 18th, 2009, 05:49 AM

Man, I'm gonna have to see some more renders! I thought it looked more like rolling waves of shit, than seawater.

Kenni

March 3rd, 2009, 08:22 PM

......Be allowed to develope this MASTER PLAN (will the neighbors actually allow it) I say SCREW them! move.

With an estimated 61,000,000 anual passengers, and competition from western airports, LAX needs to redevelope itself for the future..

==== ACTUAL ====

http://www.aerochannel.com/uploads/Image/LaxTerminalMap.gif

http://www.landrum-brown.com/assets/Downloadables/LAX.jpg

==== MASTER PLAN ====

*RENDERINGS*

New areas are highlighted in BLUE, including the people mover.

WESTERN EXPANSE
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Aerial%20Master%20Plan%20View-JK_lowresolution.jpg

NEW TERMINALS AND AN ENORMOUS AERIAL BRIDGE
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Airside%20Bridge%20to%20Midfield%20Concourse-JK_lowresolution.jpg

SOLAR PANELS FOR TERMINAL ROOFS.
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Airside%20Looking%20North-JK_lowresolution.jpg

http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Airside%20Looking%20Southwest-JK_lowresolution.jpg

PONORAMIC VIEW NORTH TO SOUTH
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/View%20to%20the%20South-JK_lowresolution.jpg

MAIN ENTRANCE TO LAX
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/View%20to%20the%20West-JK_lowresolution.jpg

*INTERIORS*

http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Concourse%20looking%20North_lowresolution.jpg

http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Great%20Hall%20Retail%20Area_lowresolution.jpg

AERIAL BRIDGE
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/View%20of%20the%20Bridge%20from%20Midfield%20Concourse_lowresolution.jpg

**VIDEO**
http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/lax/video/PC111708/index.html

*****

DinoVabec

March 3rd, 2009, 08:28 PM

I love it...I really really love it...:):):)

Kenni

March 3rd, 2009, 09:06 PM

I do too. And with the people mover, you eliminate the need for those parking structures in the middle, which in turn are converted into terminals, retail space etc. :)

http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Aerial%20Master%20Plan%20View-JK_lowresolution.jpg

bruin787

March 26th, 2009, 06:16 PM

Just for fun, here's a panorama of the airport.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f269/janus020/Untitled_Panorama1copy-1.jpg

LAsam

March 27th, 2009, 08:33 PM

Asphalt and concrete heaven.

Fern~Fern*

March 27th, 2009, 09:39 PM

^ Agree, needs more greenery (palm trees) and a strip mall to kill time in between flights.

S_OC

March 28th, 2009, 12:24 AM

http://lawa.org/uploadedimages/LAX/images/designvision/Aerial%20Master%20Plan%20View-JK_lowresolution.jpg

Awesome! I really enjoy this too, it will make a great first impression on out visitors! I too agree that there could be more greenery and retail. Had a layover here one time and was SO bored, and that was only 2 hours! Many international airports now offer impressive shopping centers. Not only do they offer something to do to pass the time, but it brings even more tourist money into the city.

future_trance011

March 28th, 2009, 01:57 AM

^ Agree, needs more greenery (palm trees) and a strip mall to kill time in between flights.

Knowing how you are Ferney..:angel:...I think you meant "strip" club to bide our time in between flights, right? There's one on Century Blvd., I think?:tongue4:

The Western expansion of LAX would be a major improvement over what's there right now. Yes, Fern we need lots of greenery, but no more palm trees, please! We need more shade, buddy....

Fern~Fern*

March 28th, 2009, 03:31 AM

^ Hey Trance, as long as someone strip is all good... Oh behave!!!!

Have you ever wonder why no Roach Coach's (Taco Truck) ever park @ LAX???

soup or man

April 1st, 2009, 10:18 PM

^ Agree, needs more greenery (palm trees) and a strip mall to kill time in between flights.

Pretty sad when the brightest, most colorful things at LAX are those 3 Southwest planes on the right.

LAsam

April 3rd, 2009, 12:28 AM

Pretty sad when the brightest, most colorful things at LAX are those 3 Southwest planes on the right.

And that weird looking Centinela Medical Center even further to the right.

soup or man

April 5th, 2009, 10:49 PM

I'm hoping that LAX invests in lots of landscaping improvements when the modernization plan comes along. More trees, colors, new grass between the runways and adding LED lights in the glowsticks. LAX is too gray.

Westsidelife

April 22nd, 2009, 03:26 PM

Terminals to Receive Makeovers (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12194574)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
April 21, 2009

Expect some much-needed repairs and improvements to three terminals at Los Angeles International Airport, a task that airport director Gina Marie Lindsey has likened to putting "lipstick on a pig."

While a complete overhaul of Terminals 1, 3 and 6 would be preferred, there are a series of inexpensive, quick-fix solutions that can improve the look of the outdated buildings within a year, according to Ellen Wright, an architect for Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that operates LAX.

"We've got paint, we've got carpet and like a home, we need to de-clutter," Wright told the airport commission Tuesday.

Terminal 1 has seen no real improvements since it was built to handle an influx of travelers during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Terminals 3 and 6, built in 1961, have also deteriorated since they were last renovated during the mid-1980s.

The cosmetic touch-ups, preliminarily estimated to cost $4 million to $5 million per terminal, call for fresh coats of paint, laying new carpet, hanging new signs, installing new lights and creating new lobby space. Airport officials also plan to move luggage carts and other passenger amenities that obstruct passenger walkways through the terminals.

"The needs are more extensive than just putting lipstick on a pig," Lindsey said. "The needs are for renovations of the bones, kind of like what we are doing now with the existing Tom Bradley International Terminal, but that would take a long time and would be more expensive than what we can afford to do right now."

Westsidelife

April 22nd, 2009, 03:31 PM

LAX Project Gets Additional $51M (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12194672)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
April 21, 2009

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners on Tuesday awarded an additional $51.2 million to Denver-based Fentress Architects to provide more designs for the ongoing modernization of Los Angeles International Airport.

The revised contract, set to expire in May 2015, calls on Fentress to draw up plans for the federal inspection and shopping areas within the expanded Tom Bradley International Terminal. Earlier this year, Fentress unveiled schematics for a new exterior of the Bradley terminal and six new aircraft gates capable of handling super-jumbo jets.

The new facility, dubbed "Bradley West," is expected to be completed by 2014 at a cost of $1.5 billion.

"This takes us all the way to the end of the project, to the ribbon cutting," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that operates LAX.

The project comes as LAX continues to struggle with dwindling passenger volumes, but airport officials said they intend to press ahead.

In the meantime, the International Air Transport Association has expressed concerns about the project's costs and has asked airport officials to openly discuss a variety of funding options.

"Basically, the airlines want a seat at the table and want to provide important feedback about the plans before it's too late," said Steve Lott, a spokesman for IATA, which represents 230 domestic and international airline carriers.

"We've seen expansion projects at other airports where we were not brought in early and we are stuck with the bill for something that doesn't work," Lott said. "We don't want that to happen in L.A."

LAX officials said they hope to sell enough bonds to complete construction of the Bradley West project, along with a new crossfield taxiway and several new elevators and escalators, but additional funds will be needed to complete a series of infrastructure improvements to the airport's other terminals.

To fill the financial gap, LAX officials have signaled their support for a proposed increase of passenger facility fees, which allows the nation's airports to collect up to $4.50 for every airline passenger.

"We cannot complete those other projects without an increase in the user fees," Lindsey said.

Lott warned that hiking passenger facility charges would also increase costs for airlines landing at LAX.

"We shouldn't jump on one option," Lott said. "LAX should look outside the box for funding options before jumping on that."

The four-year contract extension with Fentress comes just one year after the airport commission signed off on a $41.5 million, three-year deal with the firm. Under the deal, Fentress will also design a new central utility plant that will provide an improved heating and cooling system for the airport.

In a related move, the airport commission approved a $10.9 million contract with the Phoenix-based joint venture of Austin Commercial and Walsh to provide pre-construction services for the Bradley West project.

Additionally, the airport commission put out a call for bids for a construction manager to oversee efforts to renovate the federal inspection areas, restrooms, airline lounges and concession areas in the Bradley terminal.

Separately, the airport commission awarded a $5.8 million contract to Santa Fe Springs-based Griffith Co. to build a new aircraft ramp, airfield security fences and emergency exits at the American Airlines maintenance hangar.

Westsidelife

April 24th, 2009, 10:14 PM

From The Transit Coalition:

The express train that they are considering has no stops between Union Station and LAX. They were quite clear on that. Also it wouldn't connect to the airport circulator train. They were working with LAX to get two stops inside the airport for that option.

That would be amazing if we could have the LAX Express take you directly into the central terminal area!

CITYofDREAMS

April 24th, 2009, 10:40 PM

I have taken the fly away bus from Union Station to LAX and I think the service and price it's great... but a train will be superb. It will encourage a lot more people to get to the airport using PT.

Westsidelife

April 24th, 2009, 10:52 PM

S_OC

April 25th, 2009, 04:45 AM

Shezan

April 28th, 2009, 05:20 AM

like the new LAX expansion ;)

San Marino Guy

April 28th, 2009, 07:38 AM

Random but appropriate for the thread....

I flew through the Long Beach airport the other day. I actually really liked it. Very small and limited, definitely not LAX, ONT or SNA. But that was actually kind of a nice change. They don't freak out when you stop to load/unload passengers, it's got decent connections, easy to get to, and the building has some great character. Love the art deco style. :colgate:

Really? When my aunt with, they had quite a bad experiennce. She and her friends found an unattended bag, didn't belong to anyone. So naturally, she went up to tell security because who knows what it could've been and all they did was say whatever and continued to ignore the bag. They didn't even check it, and it was standing right in the middle of the terminal. I agree, it's a nice-looking airport but FAR from the meaning of safe if they cant even check ONE unattended bag. :ohno:

klamedia

April 28th, 2009, 07:07 PM

^ I took the Flyaway a few weeks ago. I must've waited 20-25 minutes for the Union Station-bound bus to arrive at the terminal. Two Van Nuys buses looped around the airport before the one to Union Station came.

We need something more reliable and convenient.

That seems about right seeing that the Union Station busses are scheduled in 30 minute intervals and Van Nuys is every 15. Actually that seems pretty reliable and predictable to me.

klamedia

April 28th, 2009, 07:08 PM

S_OC

April 29th, 2009, 08:17 AM

^^true, but I live in OC so the metro system doesn't help me out anyway. However it seems a shuttle from one of the downtown LB metro stops could be extremly beneficial to the airport.

soup or man

April 29th, 2009, 10:01 PM

Something that I think would help LAX would be a skytrain that connects the Green Line to LAX. Phoenix just opened up their light rail line in December and has a stop near Sky Harbor International. But like the Green Line, doesn't go all the way inside the airport. But they are going to build a sky train that connects their light rail line to the airport. Do you think that LAX should do something like this?

Here are a few pictures.
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc262/thomtastic/032609-airporttrain-rendering.jpg
http://nitnelav.com/skytrain1.png
http://nitnelav.com/skytrain2.png

LosAngelesSportsFan

April 29th, 2009, 11:34 PM

yes thats exactly what should happen. i cant believe hasnt been built yet to be honest. how easy would this be? jesus h christ.

Westsidelife

April 29th, 2009, 11:55 PM

That seems about right seeing that the Union Station busses are scheduled in 30 minute intervals and Van Nuys is every 15. Actually that seems pretty reliable and predictable to me.

Whatever. The bottom line is that it's not that convenient.

San Marino Guy

April 30th, 2009, 03:21 AM

I can't believe Phoenix is building an airport people-mover AND light rail link to the airport before we are. That's embarrasing, especially since their light rail system just opened this past December. Even Seattle is building a light rail line right now that runs straight into the airport from downtown.

soup or man

May 1st, 2009, 02:08 AM

^ To be fair, Phoenix's airport is only a few miles from downtown.

San Marino Guy

May 1st, 2009, 04:34 AM

Good point, but still. We have like four times Phonix's population.

milquetoast

May 1st, 2009, 05:54 AM

No one's gonna build a fucking thing in that airport until they figure out what they want it to do and where they want it to go. That's life- and it's embarrassing. Welcome to big time, multi-directional L. A. politics.

Westsidelife

May 6th, 2009, 12:12 AM

LAX Opens Bidding for New Shops (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12294007=)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
May 4, 2009

The Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday put out a call for bids for companies wanting to operate shops and eateries in Terminals 4, 5, 7 and 8 at Los Angeles International Airport.

Officials offered five options that will allow concessionaires to bid for 22 stores and 20 restaurants covering nearly 71,000 square feet. The airport commission is expected to select the winning bids on Sept. 16, with the contracts set to last for 10 years.

"We have sized the packages to create opportunities for large and small companies," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that operates LAX.

Airport officials have said they hope to spotlight the region's culture and diversity by attracting more local stores and eateries to do business at LAX.

Companies that open shop at the airport will be required to invest at least $650 per square foot to refurbish their units, along with rental payments of 12 to 21 percent of their gross annual income.

LAX currently has 16 concession contracts with companies that provide more than 130 shops, restaurants and duty-free stores throughout the airport, generating more than $83 million in revenue during the last fiscal year.

LAX has significantly less capacity for stores and restaurants than most major airports across the country, offering only 5.1 square feet of concession space for every 1,000 people passing through the airport with an average spending of $7.85 per passenger, according to a report released last fall.

Concession contracts for Terminals 1, 3 and 6 are expected to be developed this year, while plans for Terminal 2 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal will be released in 2010.

milquetoast

May 6th, 2009, 06:53 AM

Find a way to boost the cap!

klamedia

May 6th, 2009, 06:35 PM

Bomb Westchester and El Segundo.

jessemh431

May 7th, 2009, 06:54 AM

I'm all for Gundo, but can we live my home alone?

milquetoast

May 7th, 2009, 07:17 AM

Bomb Westchester and El Segundo.

Yeah! Klams knows what time it is :)

Fern~Fern*

May 7th, 2009, 08:16 AM

Bomb Westchester and El Segundo.

Nooooooo, not Westchester... :ohno:

LAsam

May 7th, 2009, 08:18 AM

I'm all for Gundo, but can we live my home alone?

Lets leave my office building alone too... and Havana Cuban Sandwich shop. No matter what happens... Havana stays. I'd like to keep the Farm Stand as well.

Kenni

May 8th, 2009, 03:12 AM

Bomb Westchester and El Segundo.

Not Westchester! that's part of L.A. City and home to my High School (more importantly :|)

Bomb El Segundo. They're the ones that held back the expansion master plan.

Annex the darn thing then bomb it.

Skyblade

May 8th, 2009, 08:37 AM

LAX Opens Bidding for New Shops (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12294007=)

Thank goodness! As mentioned in the article, LAX has a low square footage of retail space and it shows. Heaven forbid that it'd blow to the proportion of what LHR and SYD does, but at least it gives more choices beyond McDonalds and Wolfgang Puck as well as sparing me from buying a ritebite snackbox in my United flight. :nuts:

Bomb Westchester and El Segundo.
For heaven's sakes, don't touch the In-N-Out at Sepulveda! ;)

milquetoast

May 8th, 2009, 09:23 AM

Leave the In n Out alone and bomb El Segundo, after we annex them of course! :lol:

jessemh431

May 10th, 2009, 01:19 AM

Westsidelife

May 10th, 2009, 02:52 AM

More photos...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/3048977280_7c9b59af97_b.jpg
From Flickr, by brettsnyder

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/3048136561_21f08a4ddd_b.jpg
From Flickr, by brettsnyder

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/3048136265_f442dd7e83_b.jpg
From Flickr, by brettsnyder

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/3048136501_c7338179d1_b.jpg
From Flickr, by brettsnyder

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/3048136401_839ced60a8_b.jpg
From Flickr, by brettsnyder

AlexTheMartian

May 10th, 2009, 11:35 AM

ooooooo arches :)

milquetoast

May 10th, 2009, 01:37 PM

Also from brettsnyder: . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/3048136295_95852beae7_o.jpg This is Bradley-Phase 1 This seems to be a complete overhaul and expansion of Bradley's concourse . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/3048136265_67da9537c2_o.jpg This can be seen on the right side of this picture ^^ . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/3048136339_067558c608_o.jpg Bradley-Phase 2 is even more extensive, and all new . http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/3048136265_67da9537c2_o.jpg Seen at the center and extreme right in this picture and connected by the archway . Main Arch, high enough to clear the height of the A380's tail (63 feet, 8 inches)http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/3048136561_bd5a1972be_o.jpg . . You can see an elevated track that runs the perimeter along World Way with 5 covered stations that I could see http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/3048136783_242beb65a1_b.jpg brettsnyder FLICKR

San Marino Guy

May 11th, 2009, 03:20 AM

Where is that model right now? Is it at the Flight Path Museum?

Fern~Fern*

May 13th, 2009, 03:09 AM

Where is that model right now? Is it at the Flight Path Museum?

^ I heard City Hall Downtown?

San Marino Guy

May 14th, 2009, 05:34 AM

Actually, I think it is the Flight Path Museum. In the first two pictures, you could see that DC-3 outside. Who knows, maybe they moved the model to City Hall.

Fern~Fern*

May 14th, 2009, 05:48 AM

Does anyone know if LAX gets a major facelift are they taking down those colorful beams???

milquetoast

May 14th, 2009, 06:35 AM

Fernacious, why would they do that?

Fern~Fern*

May 14th, 2009, 07:27 AM

Fernacious, why would they do that?

^ Just wondering since they were added on a small section of the airport, where they should have added more down Century Blvd to the 405. I also really hope Westchester does something with it's mini downtown on Sepulveda. I hate the fact that some stores are on the back and parking in the front. Then there's some who have hidden parking in the back. I hope they decide to add a mini monorail for those passengers with connecting flights with time to spear and want grab a quick bite or buy souveniers...

LAX is a hub for what alliance???

Kenni

May 14th, 2009, 08:57 AM

Well no one gives a shit about El Segundo except LAsam. I guess we can put a shield around his building, Havana (which is really good), Fantastics, and my friends' houses. Everything can be gone for all I care. Westchester is much better.

And Kenni, why do you want your school safe? I don't. Do you go there now? How old are you?

"..memories,.. like the ones we used to have......"

I'm 30

Westchester High was good to me. :)

Leave the In n Out alone and bomb El Segundo, after we annex them of course! :lol:

That In-N-Out is in Westchester.

Westsidelife

May 20th, 2009, 03:41 AM

Looks like Metro is definitely studying the potential for an LAX Express. See page 13...

Project Update Meeting Presentation - April/May 2009 (English) (http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/harbor_subdivision/images/Project%20Update%20Meeting%20Presentation%20-%20April-May%202009.pdf)

Westsidelife

May 20th, 2009, 03:44 AM

Airport Commission Approves Contracts to Spruce Up LAX (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12398281)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
May 18, 2009

The Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday approved more than $41.6 million worth of contracts aimed at sprucing up various areas of Los Angeles International Airport.

Among the deals approved by airport officials is a $23.7 million contract with Kone Inc. to replace 32 escalators and 16 elevators in various terminals.

The deal marks the first of a four-phase program aimed at eventually replacing 285 outdated or broken elevators, escalators and moving walkways at LAX by 2012. The unreliable equipment, installed 27 years ago, was supposed to have a 25-year life span, according to an airport report.

"It's no news to you, but a nonfunctioning escalator or elevator at LAX has become a regular sight," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the agency that operates LAX.

The commission also approved a $9.1 million contract with HNTB to develop an airport pavement management and design program at LAX, LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys airports.

The contract covers the first two years of a six-year plan aimed at modernizing the airport agency's layout and standards while also establishing a pavement rehabilitation program and providing pavement maintenance training to airport staff.

Under a law adopted in 1995 by the Federal Aviation Administration, airport agencies must have pavement maintenance programs to remain eligible for federal improvement grants. Costs to establish the program are eligible for reimbursement from the FAA, according to an airport report.

The panel also awarded a $7.3 million contract to Siemens Energy and Automation Inc. to operate and maintain a new baggage handling system in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Siemens, which also manufactured and installed part of the system in March, will remain on contract until the entire baggage system is installed by the end of 2010.

About 50,000 square feet of new terrazzo flooring will be added in the Terminal 1 baggage claim area under the terms of a $1.5 million contract also approved by the commission.

The new flooring is part of a cosmetic touch-up that calls for new signs, lights and a fresh coat of paint in Terminals 1, 3 and 6, estimated to cost up to $5 million per terminal.

saiholmes

May 20th, 2009, 07:10 AM

LAX operator said to be negotiating to buy parking lot
The 21-acre property known as Park One -- which is adjacent to the Southwest Airlines terminal -- is a cash cow, according to industry observers.
By Roger Vincent
From the Los Angeles Times
May 20, 2009

In what could be the largest commercial real estate transaction of the year in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles World Airports is negotiating to acquire a 21-acre parking lot on the east edge of LAX, brokers said Tuesday.

It is being offered for sale by AMB Properties Corp., a San Francisco industrial landlord that has owned the lot called Park One since 2002.

The potential sale price is confidential, but "several purchasers have indicated interest in buying the property at prices well in excess of $100 million," said broker David Hasbrouck, an executive vice president at Cushman & Wakefield who represents AMB Properties. "Our goal is to finalize the deal over the next several weeks," he said.

Los Angeles World Airports declined to comment on the potential sale, but the public agency is likely to operate the property next to Terminal 1 as a parking facility for the foreseeable future, Hasbrouck said.

With investment financing hard to come by since the national credit crunch began, large transactions have been rare in Southern California for almost a year. The largest sale in Los Angeles County in 2008 was the $275-million purchase of Citibank Center, a 48-story downtown Los Angeles skyscraper, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

But with many office, retail and industrial tenants having difficulty paying their rents in this recessionary economy, parking lots may be among the least risky investments. Park One, which is adjacent to the Southwest Airlines terminal, is a cash cow, industry observers said.

"It's one of the best private off-airport facilities in the nation because of its proximity to a large commuter airline terminal," said broker Richard Plummer, who also represents the seller.

Exact revenue figures are confidential, the brokers said, but the lot at the northwest corner of Sepulveda and Century boulevards has 2,720 parking spaces rented at rates starting at about $15 a day and is believed to generate profits of millions of dollars annually.

The lot has an assessed value of more than $83 million, according to public records.

Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman Nancy Castles declined to confirm that the agency plans to buy Park One. Purchases over $150,000 must be approved by the agency's board of commissioners and the Los Angeles City Council.

The agency has multibillion-dollar plans to upgrade facilities at Los Angeles International Airport, she said, but the Park One site is not included in any designs for that work.

The lot was formerly home to one of the region's premier military contractors, Garrett Airesearch, which made airplane engines, turbochargers and other aerospace products.

The Times reported in 1941 that then Airesearch Manufacturing Co. had moved into its new "ultramodern structure of steel and concrete" at Sepulveda and Century. The company went on to make several products for World War II airplanes there, including cabin pressure systems for bombers.

The site was converted to a parking lot in the early 1990s.

milquetoast

May 20th, 2009, 07:30 AM

Let me take a look at Google maps.................. ok, since it's in line with the northern runways, I'll forgive them their decision not to make it an integral part of the airport (transit drop) and keep it a fucking parking lot :bash:

klamedia

May 20th, 2009, 03:25 PM

The Long Range Plan states that the "transit drop" would be in the middle of the airport where more parking is presently.

milquetoast

May 21st, 2009, 02:53 AM

The parking within the terminal where the theme building is for example, has been reduced by the Bradley 2 construction. It would be fine by me to place the terminus of the green line within that area, but I haven't seen the planning for that. That area is getting smaller every day.

Westsidelife

May 21st, 2009, 09:10 PM

Airport Commission Contemplates Parking Lot Purchase (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12415087?IADID=Search-www.dailybreeze.com-www.dailybreeze.com)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
May 20, 2009

Los Angeles World Airports is negotiating the purchase of a 21-acre parking lot as part of a transaction that could exceed $100 million, and some are speculating whether the land is ripe for other uses.

Park 'N Fly at Park One, located just east of Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport, was put up for sale by San Francisco-based AMB Properties Corp., which has owned the property for seven years, according to David Hasbrouck, executive vice president of Cushman & Wakefield, the agency representing the sellers.

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners discussed the potential purchase during a closed session meeting on Monday, but no action was taken. The seven-member panel and the Los Angeles City Council would ultimately decide whether to approve the entire transaction.

LAWA executives declined to comment, citing ongoing discussions with the property owner.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX, also declined to comment.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn said she supported the possible purchase because airport-area land is hard to come by.

"I think this opens up a lot of choices and possibilities," said Hahn, who chairs the council committee that oversees LAX.

"We know we have to modernize this airport," she said. "Maybe this property will give us options."

The possible land grab comes as the airport agency has struggled with a yearlong decline in passenger volumes and projected a slight drop in operating expenses for the next fiscal year.

"It's interesting because the land has been available for about 25 years and one has to wonder why LAX has this sudden need to buy it with little advance notice or community involvement," said aviation consultant Jack Keady of Playa del Rey.

Before it was turned into a parking lot in the early 1990s, the property was home to Garrett AiResearch, a military contractor that manufactured aerospace products.

Since then, the parking lot has been up for sale at least three times, according to two airport sources close to the deal who requested anonymity.

Each time, LAWA had an opportunity to purchase the land, but passed when it was deemed too expensive - even when it was offered for less that $30 million at one point, the sources said.

Even though negotiators say the selling price could exceed $100 million, the property has an assessed value of about $83 million, according to public records.

"It's unfortunate that we let it go the first time it was available," Hahn said. "It does seem like a lot of money, but I hope they can get the price down a bit."

The airport agency has always kept an eye on the parking lot and drew up a series of potential uses for nearly two decades. The possibilities included maintaining the land as a parking lot, turning it into a passenger drop-off zone or building an entirely new airline terminal, given it's close proximity to the airport, according to LAX sources.

But costs could run high to convert the land into use for airline passengers. The property has limited uses in its current state and would have to undergo a massive clean-up effort that could cost millions of dollars, given its prior incarnation as a manufacturing plant for aerospace products.

Additionally, the airport is barred from adding contact gates so that traffic levels do not exceed 78.9 million passengers until 2020, under the terms of a legal settlement reached in December 2005.

"They could keep it as a parking lot, but it doesn't make sense given the price of the property," Keady said. "There are a lot of questions about this but we have to remember that the gate cap will be lifted in about 10 years. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that far away."

milquetoast

May 28th, 2009, 11:10 AM

Wheels up at 7:30am http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/dsc_0082nnn.jpg Burns LA METBLOGS

Fern~Fern*

May 28th, 2009, 07:30 PM

^^ official visit?

milquetoast

May 29th, 2009, 07:43 AM

Fund raiser and concert in Hollywood. 4 million raised.

Westsidelife

May 29th, 2009, 11:18 PM

LAX Aims to Put Shopping, Eating on More Flight Plans (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-me-airport28-2009may28,0,5332521.story)

Officials hope to lift the airport's image of having mediocre offerings. Plans call for renovating the bars, fast-food outlets, restaurants, newsstands and retail shops inside eight terminals.

By Dan Weikel
May 28, 2009

When Clifton Moore ran the Los Angeles airport system from 1968 to 1993, there wasn't much emphasis on dining and shopping for people waiting for their planes at LAX. About all they could get were the basics: a newspaper, a cup of coffee, cafeteria fare and a preflight libation.

The mantra was "We are an airport, not a shopping mall," and people on the staff were proud that Los Angeles International Airport had the least concession space of any major airport in the United States.

Not anymore. Although the room devoted to beverage, food and retail services at the nation's third-busiest airport remains comparatively small, LAX officials say they now want to offer the traveling public more than they ever have from concessions.

Los Angeles World Airports has launched an ambitious effort -- the first since 1995 -- to renovate the bars, fast-food outlets, restaurants, newsstands and shops inside eight terminals, which handled about 50.7 million passengers last year.

This month, the Board of Airport Commissioners requested bids for services at 42 sites in Terminals 4, 5, 7 and 8 as well as a commuter airline facility. Proposals are due in September.

Another round of bidding for Terminals 1, 3 and 6 is expected by year's end. Concessions at the Tom Bradley International Terminal will be addressed later during a planned expansion and modernization.

"We want more variety, more dining and beverage opportunities, and better-quality food and service," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of the airport agency. "We need more cutting-edge, more contemporary and more L.A.-centric approaches."

The airport now has well-known brands such as Wolfgang Puck, Karl Strauss and California Pizza Kitchen, but those concessions, officials say, are almost 15 years old and need updating.

Airport officials also want to reduce their reliance on a handful of master concessionaires, such as HMS Host Corp., Delaware North Cos. and Hudson Group, which have been hired on long-term contracts to manage nearly all the beverage, food, retail services and bookstores at the airport.

Their idea is to break the umbrella contracts into individual packages for beverages, fast-food, casual dining, newsstands and shopping. Although large concessionaires can compete for those packages, officials say, the change in philosophy should create opportunities for smaller local businesses to bid on contracts, which could result in better quality, more variety and lower prices for travelers.

"The plan is to get people out of their seats at the gates and into the restaurants and retail stores," said Amy Shaw, who is directing the renovation of concessions.

Food and retail services at LAX have repeatedly received average and below-average marks from passengers interviewed for audits and consumer surveys, such as those conducted by J.D. Power & Associates. The preliminary results of a current in-house survey of travelers are equally downbeat.

"It's average at best," said Michael Young, 35, of Los Angeles, who travels regularly out of LAX. "Even when they try to do nice, like at Wolfgang Puck, it is still average. Change would be good. The concessions lack freshness all the way around."

Although they like such mainstays as Starbucks and McDonald's, passengers also complain that prices are too high, there are not enough choices for food and beverages, and the concessions don't reflect Los Angeles.

"There's some good stuff in the airport. But with the ocean and Venice nearby, you'd think there would be something 'beachy,' like a skate shop or surf-related company," said Elan Crews, 38, of Oakland, who flew to Los Angeles this month to visit friends.

Airport officials say another reason concessions have not lived up to their potential is the lack of space compared with 16 other major airports in the U.S. As such, retail shops and restaurants at LAX can become crowded quickly or develop long lines at sales counters, which can deter shoppers.

The conditions led auditors for K.H. Consulting Group to conclude last year that the planned renovation would give airport officials a chance "to replace a dated and uninteresting drag on LAX's image and transform the airport into a modern, first-class facility."

LAX concessions "are not where they need to be," said Craig Banikowski, president of the Los Angeles Business Travel Assn. "You must invest capital to make improvements and address changing tastes and styles. Business travelers are not what they were 20 years ago."

If successful, the overhaul could boost revenue for LAX, which has been stung by one of the worst downturns in the history of the airline industry. Although hit hard by the economy, concessions remain big business at major airports at home and abroad, generating 40% to 50% of their revenue. Last year, LAX made about $280 million from concessions, more than half from parking and rental cars.

There is considerable room to improve, however. As of last July, eight other major U.S. airports, including those in San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma and Miami, had higher sales per passenger. The average passenger at San Francisco International spent the most -- almost $11 -- while the typical traveler at LAX spent almost $8.

The go-local approach to concessions has been relatively successful at Denver International Airport, where businesses bid on each of more than 100 concession sites. The result provided travelers with a variety of concessions, including popular national franchises such as Starbucks and McDonald's and recognizable local brands such as Boulder Beer and the Denver ChopHouse & Brewery.

Patrick Heck, a deputy manager in charge of revenue development at the Denver airport, said concession earnings had grown faster than inflation and the increase in passengers. The airport took in about $250 million in concession revenue last year.

"It's been fairly well received. People seem satisfied with it," Heck said. "Our concession programs have done OK in terms of revenue, though we are not blowing it away."

Denver, however, received below-average ratings for food and retail services in last year's J.D. Power consumer survey, representing a slow decline over several years. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, which also used the go-local approach, has received marks similar to those of LAX.

Heck said that many of Denver's concessions, like LAX's, are almost 15 years old and "a little dated," but he does not fault the philosophy of attracting popular local brands. "I would take this approach again," Heck said.

YU-AMC

May 31st, 2009, 05:23 AM

DC10s dominating LAX during 1989-90. Nice video.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8105852748729857453&ei=z_YhSse0JIei-AGRjNWmDw&q=Los+Angeles+DC10&hl=en

Westsidelife

June 4th, 2009, 07:14 AM

L.A. Council Approves Design Firm for LAX Bradley West Project (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12513142)

From staff reports
June 3, 2009

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a $10.9 million contract with the Phoenix-based venture of Austin Commercial and Walsh to provide preconstruction services for the extension of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

The new facility, dubbed "Bradley West," is expected to be completed by 2014 at a cost of $1.5 billion.

In a related move, the City Council's Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee on Wednesday agreed to award an additional $51.2 million to Denver-based Fentress Architects to provide more designs for the Bradley West project.

The revised contract, now worth $92.7 million and set to expire in May 2015, calls on Fentress to draw up plans for the federal inspection and shopping areas within the expanded Bradley terminal. Fentress will also be charged with designing a new central utility plant that will provide an improved heating and cooling system for LAX.

Westsidelife

June 23rd, 2009, 09:36 AM

City Council Gives $51.2 Million More to Architect for LAX Design Work (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12603678)

June 16, 2009

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday awarded an additional $51.2 million to Denver-based Fentress Architects to provide more designs for the extended Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

The revised contract, now worth $92.7 million and set to expire in May 2015, call on Fentress to draw up plans for the federal inspection and shopping areas within the new facility, dubbed "Bradley West."

Fentress also will be tasked with designing a new central utility plant that will provide an improved heating and cooling system for LAX.

Westsidelife

June 23rd, 2009, 09:36 AM

Airport Board OKs $126.5M for Parking Lot (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12668887)

From staff reports
June 22, 2009

The Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday agreed to spend $126.5 million to buy a 20-acre parking lot adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport, but the City Council is expected to debate the purchase over the next several weeks.

Two appraisals in February valued the Park 'N Fly at Park One lot for as low as $108 million and as high as $120 million. The parking lot, located just east of Terminal 1, has been up for sale at least two other times over the Past 20 years, but Los Angeles World Airports passed up on the purchase each time. Airport officials said they hope to close the deal by the end of July.

"This has been a long and difficult negotiation," commission President Alan Rothenberg said. "LAWA did not have the foresight to grab it the last time it was up for sale. So I'm glad we were able to strike when it was on the market this time."

Airport officials said the price reflects the property's current value as a parking lot, even though San Francisco-based AMB Properties had tried to sell it at a higher price.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn said she had hoped for a better deal, considering the national real estate downturn.

"It seems like a lot of money, but hopefully the airport will make a case for why this parking lot is so valuable," said Hahn, who chairs the council committee that oversees LAX.

LAWA is expected to collect $8.2 million in rent from Park 'N Fly in the next fiscal year. The parking lot operator's lease is set to expire at the end of 2012.

Westsidelife

June 23rd, 2009, 09:37 AM

American Facilities to Be Razed in LAX Modernization (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12668906)

From staff reports
June 22, 2009

A portion of American Airlines' operations at Los Angeles International Airport will be moved this year so that a modernization project can be completed under a plan approved Monday by the Board of Airport Commissioners.

Los Angeles World Airports - the agency that operates LAX - will demolish several facilities used by American Airlines, including an employee parking lot. The space is needed for the airport's ongoing cross-field taxiway project, which will accommodate super-jumbo jets landing at LAX.

In return, American Airlines will receive four so-called "preferential gates" when the new Bradley West terminal is completed in 2013, along with a new 13.8-acre employee parking lot just west of the airport terminals. Additionally, American Eagle's operations will be transferred in January to a commuter facility formerly operated by United Airlines, located just east of Terminal 8.

LAWA will also give $21 million worth of relocation funds to American Airlines for improvements to the new facilities.

Westsidelife

June 23rd, 2009, 09:41 AM

JetBlue Taxis in at LAX (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12603794)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
June 16, 2009

After a yearlong delay, JetBlue Airways will finally launch service today from Los Angeles International Airport to a pair of East Coast cities.

The low-cost carrier will offer two daily nonstop flights between LAX and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and two additional flights from LAX to Logan International Airport in Boston aboard Airbus A-320 jetliners.

To mark the new service, JetBlue passengers flying from LAX to New York or Boston from Sept. 8 to Nov. 11 can purchase tickets this week for $109 each way.

JetBlue executives and airport officials are scheduled to tout the new flights during a news conference scheduled for this morning at LAX.

"We greatly welcome the start of JetBlue's new cross-country service, which is sure to be welcomed by air travelers looking for more service options and great value in today's economic environment," said Gina Marie Lindsey, LAX's executive director.

Record-high fuel prices prompted JetBlue to scrub the East Coast itineraries last year, but the New York-based carrier never gave up on its plan to someday fly out of LAX.

"We would have been operating at a loss right out of the gate if we started last year," said Sebastian White, a JetBlue spokesman.

"It was a bad time to start a long-haul service like that, which requires a lot of fuel, along with the high costs of starting service at a new airport," he said. "Fuel has come down quite a bit since then, so the fares can now cover more of the expenses of flying these routes."

JetBlue took to the skies in 1999, offering passengers reduced fares on airplanes equipped with leather seats, free in-flight television programs and free snacks.

The airline entered the Southern California market a year later, when it offered flights out of LA/Ontario International Airport, which is owned by the same agency that operates LAX. The sole daily flight linking Ontario and New York was canceled last year due to rising fuel prices.

JetBlue executives have said they hope to make LAX part of the company's Southern California strategy, after launching flights out of Long Beach Airport in 2001 and Burbank's Bob Hope Airport in 2005.

JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said he was "excited to give the L.A. Basin even more options, whether you prefer Long Beach, Burbank or our newest bicoastal service from LAX."

In April, Barger said he had considered leaving Long Beach due to a lack of terminal improvements, but quickly backed off that stance when airport officials unveiled plans to improve the terminal and build part of a parking garage.

JetBlue is set to slightly reduce its schedule at Long Beach from 209 to 203 weekly flights in July, compared with a year ago, according to an airline scheduling database.

The airline also will eliminate 18 weekly flights connecting Burbank to New York and Washington, D.C., according to the database.

Jet Blue's most famous flight into LAX was on Sept. 21, 2005, when sparks flew from the crippled nose gear of Flight 292 as it made an emergency landing on the south airfield. No injuries were reported.

sonnyville

June 23rd, 2009, 07:25 PM

i am so glad for the new LAX services on jetblue, but i am even more glad that they decided not to pull out from LGB. i am a resident of LGB, and i don't care about people complaining about the noise pollution of the airport. get used to it or simply just move. my house is over the flight path during take offs, it isn't so bad. ahhh...maybe once in a while when fighter jets come screaming out of the airport. hehe. the airport is a major source of revenue and jobs for the people of Long Beach. aside from that, i am less than 5 minutes, more or less, away from LGB, and i prefer flying out of LGB rather than having to drive hours ahead in to LAX, then wait for a long time in the security lines, which can extend out in to the sidewalk or drop off zones in a long line. LGB is quick and easy, and jetblue has done a great job there.

now jetblue, if they're going to fly out of LAX.... consider the Hawaiian Islands as new routes soon. I'd love to go back home to the islands with them. HAL is just too expensive despite the best US carrier awarded to them!

San Marino Guy

June 23rd, 2009, 10:20 PM

I love Hawaii! That would be nice if JetBlue started nonstop service to KONA!!!

sonnyville

June 24th, 2009, 07:24 AM

I love Hawaii! That would be nice if JetBlue started nonstop service to KONA!!!

I'm from the Big Island myself. That isn't a bad idea! I'd easily take them over United, charging 5+ Dollars over golf ball size meals on a 5 hour flight. At least jetblue gives unlimited snacks and drinks, plus IFE, and free wi-fi internet. Just too bad about paying for the pillows and headsets, but then again they are a low cost carrier.

San Marino Guy

June 24th, 2009, 04:12 PM

I'm from the Big Island myself. That isn't a bad idea! I'd easily take them over United, charging 5+ Dollars over golf ball size meals on a 5 hour flight. At least jetblue gives unlimited snacks and drinks, plus IFE, and free wi-fi internet. Just too bad about paying for the pillows and headsets, but then again they are a low cost carrier.

I wouldn't mind if they took Go! Airlines spot at Kona, especially since they suck anyways...

Westsidelife

July 9th, 2009, 09:26 AM

LA Council Orders LAX to Study Green Line Extension (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12789255)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
July 8, 2009

The Metro Green Line might finally wind its way down to the terminals at Los Angeles International Airport, thanks to the recent purchase of an adjacent 20-acre parking lot that's ripe for use.

The Los Angeles City Council's Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee on Wednesday directed airport officials to spend the next six months studying whether it's possible to bring the light rail line directly to LAX by building a stop on the site of the Park 'N Ride at Park One lot, located just east of Terminal One.

The Board of Airport Commissioners agreed last month to buy the parking lot for $126.5 million. The full City Council is expected to sign off on the expenditure by Friday.

"It's a no-brainer that every major airport has a rail line going into it," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX.

The Green Line's estimated $200 million, two-mile extension would likely be funded by Measure R. Los Angeles County voters approved the half-cent county sales tax measure, which went into effect last week and is expected to generate $40 billion for local transportation projects over the next 30 years.

As part of their research, airport officials will dust off and update a report completed more than a decade ago, examining whether to bring the Green Line to LAX.

"We really want this to be the premier study to say yes, this is feasible and here's how it's going to happen," said Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who chairs the council committee that oversees LAX.

"If we don't make it accessible, people won't use it," Hahn said. "It's time to right that wrong for the public."

The Green Line, running 20 miles from Norwalk to Redondo Beach, opened in 1995 at a cost of $700 million.

For now, the Green Line's stop at Aviation Boulevard drops passengers two miles away from LAX, forcing travelers to board a bus to complete a trip to the airport.

The rail line's missing link should connect "deep into the heart of the airport," Councilman Tom LaBonge said.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's current plan calls for extending the Green Line to nearby Manchester Square, allowing travelers to board a proposed people mover to gain access to airport terminals.

The MTA had initially called for extending the Green Line to LAX by 2015, but officials announced last year that the project won't likely be completed until 2018 at the earliest.

But MTA officials on Wednesday said they would welcome input from airport and city officials who want to use the airport-adjacent parking lot as a new Green Line stop.

"We're working with the airport in creating a better link to the terminals, but this is a new proposal to us," said Roderick Diaz of the MTA's South Bay planning department.

"We'd have to examine various possibilities to bring the line to the terminals," Diaz said. "But this is an interesting alternative to pursue."

Airport Commission President Alan Rothenberg said the Park One property will continue to operate as a parking lot as officials study all potential uses, including a new consolidated car rental office.

"You have a privately owned piece of property within the footprint of LAX and it's a shame we didn't acquire it the last time it was on the market," Rothenberg said. "It's clear that it should be part of LAX."

klamedia

July 10th, 2009, 05:54 PM

Fine then. Spend millions of dollars extending the Green Line into the airport, it would be great for me. But it still won't get the very people who use the Green Line not going into the airport as a way to ridicule the system to ride the system. Most folks who don't ride the system aren't riding it because it doesn't go to directly to the airport, there are a host of other reasons for their abstinence. Even NYC's subway still doesn't run directly into the airport, you're forced to transfer onto a people mover and pay an additional fare that takes you into the terminals whereinwhich just a few years ago it was a shuttle bus system very similar to what we have now, really only a handful of cities have rail going directly into the airport like Chicago and SF.

The only way to force folks onto an upgraded Green Line and curb folks from driving to the airport is to inhibit their car usage such as taking away personal private auto accessibility into the airport and converting the parking structures into perhaps more retail space for the airport. Charging a toll to drive into the airport(if that's allowable) or by making parking even more pricey. You could also convert those employee parking lots into off-site public parking and not provide subsidized employee parking at all.

If they want to spend millions to extend the Green Line into the airport you must give it some teeth to compete with cars or the folks who call it a failure or mistake will just drive past it even after it is extended into the airport.

Westsidelife

July 10th, 2009, 07:17 PM

^ Plenty more people would be willing to take a people mover than a shuttle bus, especially if the people mover stops directly in front of each terminal. Regarding the rail connection at SFO, BART only stops at the International Terminal. To access the other terminals, it's either the people mover or a very long walk. Finally, LA has plans to provide a direct rail connection into the airport. It's called the LAX Express:

http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/harbor_subdivision/images/Express%20Service%20-%20Union%20Station%20to%20LAX.pdf

klamedia

July 11th, 2009, 07:05 AM

PotatoGuy

July 11th, 2009, 07:10 AM

croyboy

July 11th, 2009, 07:27 AM

Westsidelife

July 11th, 2009, 07:27 AM

The Green Line to the newly purchased parking lot is plenty! From there you should be able to get to your terminal just fine unlessen you haf too broked legs. Within the airport there already are the little shuttle ciculators that will take you directly to your terminal. Just please don't let the Green Line dead end at the airport though. I really don't care about it even going to the damned airport, I want it to go up Lincoln to meet up w/ the Expo and Purple Lines or at least one of them.

I'm not a fan of that solution at all. The whole point of the rail connection is to improve convenience and relieve traffic. What good is it going to do if the Green Line stops at the very edge of the Central Terminal Area (CTA)? Furthermore, what's the point of bringing it to the airport (but not into the terminals) if you're not going to construct a people mover? The shuttle buses are hardly sufficient. A people mover would have more capacity and, more importantly, reduce the traffic.

I think the parking lot is far too valuable to build a rail station there. We have the opportunity to build a major transportation facility at Century/Aviation, where the people mover would connect with the Green, Crenshaw, and Harbor Subdivision lines. Additionally, such a facility could host all curbside pick-up/drop-off operations, which would result in the CTA parking structures becoming extensions of the terminals. Now, isn't that the best solution? Isn't that what you want? It's what I want.

Westsidelife

July 11th, 2009, 07:34 AM

^^ i don't like that it doesn't go through downtown, but around it instead. at least bart takes you through places you want to end up. union station should be the last stop with a stop at 7th and metro

It's an express train, so it's supposed to be nonstop. The Heathrow Express, a similar concept, drops you off at Paddington Station, which is a ways away from the heart of Central London.

croyboy

July 11th, 2009, 07:44 AM

an Express Anything has stops in it. think of the 460 bus to disneyland or the silver streak of the foothill transit authority. one stop won't kill the idea of the express train. in fact, it would be better so people can really be in the city center or pass on to union station and go anywhere in the metro (after you've paid a totally new fare).

Westsidelife

July 11th, 2009, 07:57 AM

^ For this Harbor Subdivision study, "express" is defined as nonstop and "regional" is defined as limited-stop. Both the express and regional trains would have to bypass the heart of DTLA because they are to run on the Harbor Subdivision ROW. The local train would have a stop at Alameda/7th, where it could meet a potential Red Line extension to Whittier.

YU-AMC

July 11th, 2009, 08:19 AM

I love Hawaii! That would be nice if JetBlue started nonstop service to KONA!!!

With a A320? I don't think so. They need a wide body jet.

San Marino Guy

July 11th, 2009, 03:34 PM

With a A320? I don't think so. They need a wide body jet.

For Kona, an A320 and even a 737 would be fine. When Aloha was around, they used to fly 737s to Maui and Honolulu from John Wayne.

klamedia

July 11th, 2009, 07:08 PM

klamedia

July 11th, 2009, 07:24 PM

Now, isn't that the best solution? Isn't that what you want? It's what I want.

Go ahead, have your Green Line to the airport. I think it's a waste of money to deadend it at LAX. IMO the airport should just be yet another stop as it runs on to Santa Monica or Venice. And yes, it will improve overall connectivity but I just don't see it as that big of a deal.....perhaps I'm missing something here.

croyboy

July 11th, 2009, 09:10 PM

The local train would have a stop at Alameda/7th, where it could meet a potential Red Line extension to Whittier.

of course this red line would have a different color to it (if there were an extension) so as not to confuse it with the actual red/purple lines to union station

Westsidelife

July 12th, 2009, 01:51 AM

An express train that flies through South LA without stopping (as one alignment proposes):lol::lol:. Not going to happen.

The best thing about the Harbor Subdivision ROW is that it can be used for various types of services -- local, regional, and express.

Local: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/harbor_subdivision/images/Local%20Service%20North%20-%20Metro%20Green%20Line%20to%20Union%20Station.pdf

Regional: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/harbor_subdivision/images/Regional%20Service%20-%20Union%20Station%20to%20San%20Pedro%20or%20Long%20Beach.pdf

Express: http://www.metro.net/projects_studies/harbor_subdivision/images/Express%20Service%20-%20Union%20Station%20to%20LAX.pdf

Westsidelife

July 12th, 2009, 02:08 AM

Go ahead, have your Green Line to the airport. I think it's a waste of money to deadend it at LAX. IMO the airport should just be yet another stop as it runs on to Santa Monica or Venice. And yes, it will improve overall connectivity but I just don't see it as that big of a deal.....perhaps I'm missing something here.

I don't understand. I'm telling you that an off-site Ground Transportation Center (GTC) at Century/Aviation, which would include connections to various transit lines as well as check-in services and concessions (basically an extension of the airport), is a definite possibility. You claimed that moving check-in services/security screening to GTC and subsequently converting the parking structures in the CTA to extra concessions space would be an effective solution in terms of getting people to ride the people mover. That's what I was getting at. While I'm not sure whether we'd close the entire CTA off to private vehicles, I'm pretty sure the GTC would have some check-in services and concessions. Either way, the people mover won't be ineffective as you claim. And what do you mean by the Green Line coming to a dead end? A Lincoln extension would still be feasible.

milquetoast

July 12th, 2009, 03:13 AM

losangelino

July 12th, 2009, 06:26 AM

Hasn't this shit all been done before? (I'm drunk) All you have to do is look to the successful examples around the country or the world, and extrapolate! Just look around and see what works elsewhere, then apply the knowledge to your current situation. It"s not that fucking hard! All you need is the money to ..... you know what I'm saying.

I tend to agree. Washington National Airport is a great example of what we should do here. VERY convenient to go from the airport to a hotel without bothering with taxi lines, rental cars and all of the other nightmares those of us who travel frequently have to contend with.

I think all too often people here only consider what Losangelenos have to deal with when traveling to LAX (which is nightmarish enough having to deal with the myriad parking lot businesses). What we should really be thinking about is making travel in and out of LAX convenient for "visitors" to the city.

klamedia

July 13th, 2009, 03:00 AM

of course this red line would have a different color to it (if there were an extension) so as not to confuse it with the actual red/purple lines to union station

The Red Line isn't going to Whittier.

Westsidelife

July 13th, 2009, 06:24 AM

^ There will be an eastward HRT extension one day and it could very well be to Whittier.

AlexTheMartian

July 13th, 2009, 08:34 AM

like how the blue line was to go to Pasadena... colors change, lol.

and bringing HRT to Whittier will make the eastside LRT useless, unless it is extended to go somewhere other than Whittier. and if they extend LRT to Whittier, will they really be willing to invest all that money to have HRT go through roughly the same route that an existing LRT does? that sounds like wasting a lot of money. Basically flush the entire eastside gold line down the drain.

I could be entirely wrong though. Is there cases of a completed LRT line being scrapped so there can be HRT instead in other cities? If there is, then ignore what I am saying. Yeah it is true HRT would have been better, but that is expensive as it is, it is hard to imagine adding the cost of that on top of the cost of a LRT which will be obsolete once the HRT is in place.

However it seems like that would be the case with any LRT line, if density increases over the years. The year 3009 probably will have all HRT here if LA keeps growing. Or would cities just grow out instead of up? I am getting off topic aren't I?

AlexTheMartian

July 13th, 2009, 08:37 AM

I just realized the topic I am in, what did Whittier have to do with Los Angeles Area Airports? I got sidetracked :bash:

Westsidelife

July 13th, 2009, 08:39 AM

^ From what Wright Concept has told me, the LRT will most likely travel along either SR 60 or Washington Blvd. Both alignments are terrible, IMO. I'm so, so sad that the Garvey route was eliminated. That would've lured so many Chinese investors into the area.

We're getting really off topic here.

AlexTheMartian

July 13th, 2009, 09:52 AM

speaking of airports (steers topic back on course... somewhat), I see the Theme Building at LAX is having renovations. I read online that it will be done in September. So it seems like they are going to reopen the observation deck as well. Awesome. Now if only those parking garages can be dealt with somehow... they make the center area look cramped.. When the people mover gets built, will those be moved elsewhere? If not, maybe new ones can be built in same spots but underground, and a park or something more visually appealing be built? Just an idea, seems to be popular thing now, with the proposed Park 101 and all.

milquetoast

July 14th, 2009, 05:22 AM

^^Iconic LAX Theme Building's Renovation Will Be Done By Fall
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/AARON.jpg .
The Theme Restaurant Building has been virtually synonymous with LAX since it opened in 1961. In 2001, the rooftop observation deck was closed in reaction to the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US, and in early 2007, when a hefty piece of plaster fell down as patrons ate nearby, the landmark building was closed for renovations.

Now, as the "web of scaffolding surrounding the Theme Building is slowly disappearing," from the exterior, we can look forward to the building re-emerging in fall, when the "ongoing $15.2 million effort to shore up the iconic structure," is finally completed, according to the Daily Breeze.

Part of what has taken so long is to conduct the renovation without altering the structure, which is stipulated in its 1992 designation as a City cultural and historic monument. Getting the steel installed inside the main column has "posed a challenge" to crews working to make the building earthquake-safe. The support system suffered years of damage "likely caused by water that seeped past the plaster seams." Come fall, patrons won't see the new steel for themselves, but they can appreciate the new stucco, ventilation system, and the long-awaited re-opening of the observation deck. (SCAFFOLDING DON'T LOOK HALF BAD!) :) A*A*R*O*N/FLICKR Lindsay William-Ross LAIST

klamedia

July 15th, 2009, 11:14 PM

^ There will be an eastward HRT extension one day and it could very well be to Whittier.

Ok "westy" here we go again. The Red Line ext to East LA is over, you know it and I know it. Zev and his Zevites made sure of that by banning local money w/ Prop C going to any subway tunneling in LA County effectively killing the already planned extension of the Red Line to East LA. The Eastside Gold LRT basically was the consolation prize for East LA that's why Molina is still pissed at Zev. The torch has moved on. The most pressing and popular HRT projects are the twin construction of the Pink and extension of the Purple Lines, even Villar mentions these two projects and never mentions HRT East LA......because it's dead. Haven't you perused the alignment options of Phase III of the Gold Line to Whittier? None of them suggest HRT. Where in the Measure R projects is an East LA HRT mentioned?

Westsidelife

July 16th, 2009, 01:10 AM

^ It's a very distant project. There *needs* to be some sort of eastward HRT extension. And Eastside II might not go to Whittier.

klamedia

July 16th, 2009, 01:18 AM

In all of the LRTP's that I've read, I don't see it. How could East LA miss their chance at getting a subway? How could Molina drop the ball? I'd love to hear her side of the story because up to this point I've only heard about Zev and his Zevites, the MTA cost overruns and the Hollywood Blvd sinkhole.

Westsidelife

July 16th, 2009, 01:30 AM

^ Who says that they can't add it onto the LRTP?

LosAngelesSportsFan

July 16th, 2009, 02:38 AM

Guys, we are WAY off topic here. move this convo to the transit thread.

AlexTheMartian

July 16th, 2009, 06:44 AM

I am starting to think transit would need a whole sub-forum :nuts:

klamedia

July 19th, 2009, 01:59 PM

^ Who says that they can't add it onto the LRTP?

So you're admitting that it's not on the Long Range Transportation Plan, basically not even on the radar. So why bandee about talking like the Eastside HRT extension will be under construction next year?

sonnyville

July 20th, 2009, 09:08 AM

I was at LAX tonight (July 19 2009) around 20:30 and I was at that point or small viewing area on the El Segundo side overlooking the airport. I was waiting for my grandpa's flight which was due to arrive at 20:00 and park at TBIT, but things got backed up tonight due to some emergency. I saw lots of emergency vehicles scramble to the far end of the airport after a plane had landed. They even had helicopters hover. My grandpa's plane was eventually delayed because of that emergency. Any news on what it was? And TBIT arrival area is a mess right now!! Just a heads up on anyone who's coming to pick up friends or loved ones. Due to the renovations or construction going on. The arrival greeting/pick up area is out the front door entrance of the terminal itself.

milquetoast

July 20th, 2009, 09:31 AM

Last unusual thing was the 3.2 on July 13th, under a runway.

Westsidelife

July 20th, 2009, 09:37 AM

So you're admitting that it's not on the Long Range Transportation Plan, basically not even on the radar. So why bandee about talking like the Eastside HRT extension will be under construction next year?

It depends on which route is chosen for Eastside II. And I admitted that even if it's necessary, it's still a long ways off.

klamedia

July 20th, 2009, 05:50 PM

Yeah "Westy" but you know their's no chance for it to be HRT.

Westsidelife

July 20th, 2009, 06:05 PM

^ Why not? I'll repeat, there *needs* to be an eastward HRT extension of some sort. A Whittier HRT would act as a reliever line.

croyboy

July 21st, 2009, 07:31 AM

we'll see what we "need" once the gold line to east LA starts operating

Westsidelife

July 21st, 2009, 07:35 AM

^ It's more a matter of creating a less disjointed system.

Skyblade

July 21st, 2009, 10:25 AM

Last unusual thing was the 3.2 on July 13th, under a runway.

Yeah, I haven't heard anything aside from TBIT getting evacuated over a suspicious bag (http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_12878947?source=rss) and the following article that was in yesterday's LA Times:

LAX parking lot is home away from home for airline workers (http://www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-me-lax-colony20-2009jul20,0,1918986.story?track=rss)

For about 15 days a month, Alaska Airlines pilot Jim Lancaster lives in a motor home in Parking Lot B near the southernmost runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

Every four minutes, a jetliner or turboprop roars in -- 500 feet above his front door -- for a landing. The noise is so loud it forces Lancaster to pause during conversations. But he doesn't mind. Lancaster puts up with the smell of jet fuel and screaming engines to save time and money.

More material inside the link to the article...

milquetoast

July 21st, 2009, 10:35 AM

^^ Yeah, I read that :)

San Marino Guy

July 21st, 2009, 04:08 PM

^ Why not? I'll repeat, there *needs* to be an eastward HRT extension of some sort. A Whittier HRT would act as a reliever line.

What about an HRT extension under Valley Blvd. to Metrolink's El Monte Station? It could help relieve some of the traffic on I-10 and it's in a completely different area from the Gold Line Extension. Plus that area is basically becoming the Wilshire Blvd. of SGV, only a little less dense, but still one of the most congested roads going through the SGV.

klamedia

July 21st, 2009, 05:46 PM

^ Why not? I'll repeat, there *needs* to be an eastward HRT extension of some sort. A Whittier HRT would act as a reliever line.

Oh "westy" you're stamping your feet like you're two years old. You know it aint happenin' and so do I. We're trying to get the Purple Line funded, the most needed subway line in the country and that's a jog. Of course there NEEDS to be a subway into East LA but Zev and his Zevites killed it and the subway ban is still in effect. There are lots of things I think we need like those green outside toilets at every major rail stop or a baday in every toilet in LA but I doubt it's going to happen.

croyboy

July 21st, 2009, 06:53 PM

^^ i'm not using the same baday as anyone else :)

Westsidelife

July 21st, 2009, 06:56 PM

What about an HRT extension under Valley Blvd. to Metrolink's El Monte Station? It could help relieve some of the traffic on I-10 and it's in a completely different area from the Gold Line Extension. Plus that area is basically becoming the Wilshire Blvd. of SGV, only a little less dense, but still one of the most congested roads going through the SGV.

This is what I'm saying. All I said was that there needs to be an eastward HRT extension "of some sort." It doesn't necessarily have to follow Whittier. It could run along the 10 or the Alameda Corridor East trench to El Monte. Even using the West Santa Ana Branch Corridor, which is mandated by Measure R to be grade-separated, is a possibility.

Westsidelife

July 21st, 2009, 07:04 PM

Oh "westy" you're stamping your feet like you're two years old. You know it aint happenin' and so do I. We're trying to get the Purple Line funded, the most needed subway line in the country and that's a jog. Of course there NEEDS to be a subway into East LA but Zev and his Zevites killed it and the subway ban is still in effect. There are lots of things I think we need like those green outside toilets at every major rail stop or a baday in every toilet in LA but I doubt it's going to happen.

That's only for Prop A, though. Once we deliver a few of these Measure R projects, there will be enough positive political will and momentum to pass another transit measure. Besides, the ban only forbids using local funds to cover costs directly associated with subway tunneling. Neither the El Monte or Santa Ana routes would require that much subway, if at all.

milquetoast

July 22nd, 2009, 04:30 AM

Your passion hath run away with you. I'd like to keep updated of your current musings on the transit thread :)

Westsidelife

July 28th, 2009, 08:07 PM

LAX Drops to World's Sixth-Busiest Airport in 2008 (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12925616)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
July 27, 2009

Once ranked as the world's third-busiest airport earlier this decade, Los Angeles International Airport dropped to sixth place among its contemporaries in 2008, according to figures released Monday by the Airports Council International.

Paris' Charles de Gaulle International Airport barely edged out LAX to overtake the fifth spot among the world's busiest airports last year, according to the Geneva-based ACI, which examined 1,357 airports spanning the globe. Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, London and Tokyo rounded out the top four.

LAX was previously ranked the fifth-busiest airport from 2002 to 2007, and was third in world in 2000 and 2001. LAX served 59.5 million travelers in 2008, a significant drop from the 68 million passengers who passed through the airport during its peak in 2000.

Part of LAX's decline could be attributed to the fact that fewer business travelers are taking to the skies due to the national recession, said aviation consultant Jack Keady of Playa del Rey.

Additionally, while longtime international carriers like British Airways have remained at LAX, relative newcomers like Aer Lingus and Air India pulled out of the airport in 2008, Keady said.

"This is all about demand and airlines only add seats when the demand is there," Keady said. "The folks at LAX have to put their best foot forward to make it cost-competitive for the airlines, while making it an airport that people enjoy using."

Others, including renown aviation consultant Mike Boyd of Evergreen, Colo., dismissed the annual ranking of the world's airports as a "mere comparison of no importance."

"We're in a situation where LAX is wallowing around trying to decide what it wants to be, but that has nothing to do with its ranking in the world," Boyd said. "If you take a look at the statistics, there's nothing pejorative, it's just quantitative."

During the first four months of 2009, LAX ranked as the eighth-busiest airport in the world, falling behind Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport for the first time. Year-over-year comparisons show that LAX logged an overall decline of 10.8 percent in passenger travel during the first half of 2009.

Part of the reason for LAX's decline stems from the fact that more airlines are concentrating flights from their so-called "hub cities," which may explain increases in passengers at Dallas, where American Airlines is based, said Michael Molina, LAX's senior director of external affairs.

LAX does not serve as a hub for any airline.

"During periods of uncertainty, airlines will retrench to their more traditional hubs and that's a trend we're seeing nationally." Molina said.

"We remain concerned about the 10 percent decline in traffic at LAX and we're hopeful that the recent downturn rebounds in the coming months."

PotatoGuy

July 30th, 2009, 07:12 AM

I had never thought about it but LAX really isn't a hub for anything, thats so weird

milquetoast

July 30th, 2009, 08:02 AM

L A X is the busiest origin/destination airport in the world, where passengers either land in Los Angeles for Los Angeles or take off from here and arrive at their final destination without connections. Not a hub. It also is the only airport to serve 3 or more destinations with a million passengers.

caliblakqt

July 30th, 2009, 08:41 PM

^^^^

Thats what I'm talkin about... A lot of those busiest airport claims are people flying through those airports on their way somewhere else. LAX has those most people flying there as a FINAL DESTINATION, which means people are still going to Los Angeles more than anywhere else (well through a single airport anyway) .

saiholmes

July 31st, 2009, 08:17 AM

Pink's Hot Dogs to open at LAX

Skyblade

July 31st, 2009, 08:48 AM

^ Yep, it's going to be over in TBIT! :D Was looking forward to seeing any form of new food options since I've eaten in the same places ten times over, but having Pinks is an even more welcome addition!

Delaware North to Bring Famous Pink's Hot Dogs to LAX (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/07/prweb2672964.htm)

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) July 23, 2009 -- Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, one of the world's leading airport food and retail providers, announced today that it will be opening a Pink's Hot Dogs location at Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) of the Los Angeles World Airport (LAX) later this year. This is the first time that the well-known Pink's brand will be featured at an airport anywhere in the world, and one of only a few times that Pink's food has been served outside of Hollywood, the town that made its hot dogs famous. Pink's has been made famous by numerous celebrity endorsements and constant crowds of hungry customers lined up outside its doors.

Fern~Fern*

August 1st, 2009, 06:38 AM

Speaking of LAX, does anyone have an idea if AF will schedule 380 2 L.A.?

CITYofDREAMS

August 10th, 2009, 04:12 AM

LAX in the Top Five spot as one of the Best America's Airport in 2009

America’s Best and Worst Airports 2009
What are the odds your next flight will be delayed? Depends on what airport you’re flying from
By Travel + Leisure StaffLAX
© 2007 Los Angeles World Airports
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We all know the drill: you show up at the airport with plenty of time to spare, only to discover that your flight’s been delayed and now you have hours to kill. Or worse yet, you’ve already boarded your flight and now you’re stuck on the tarmac.

Where is this most likely to happen? You can’t eliminate delays, of course, but you can play the odds—some airports have better track records than others (as do some airlines, which is why we rank the best and worst airlines for on-time performance). So, as we do every year, Travel + Leisure gathered statistics from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics on flights that departed more than 15 minutes behind schedule (in this instance from April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009) and found out the best—and worst—airports for on-time performance.

There is some good news overall: the worst airport (there’s a new winner this year) improved on its delays by 3 percentage points. It was also the only airport to have 30 percent or more of its flights delayed; last year, four airports broke the 30 percent barrier.

This upward trend meant that even though some airports improved their on-time performance, their ranking may not have changed much. Dallas decreased its flight delays by a lot—6 percentage points—but it remained at the No. 4 spot in the top 10 worst airports. And JFK—despite decreasing its delays 11 percentage points over the past 2 years—tied with Dallas for that No. 4 spot.

Some of these airports will come as no surprise: the skies around New York City continue to be congested, backing up traffic at all three area airports. And other hubs like Atlanta and Chicago remain on the list of offenders.

But both the best and worst lists have some newcomers this year. Philadelphia—on neither list in 2007 or 2008—showed up in the top 10 worst airports (22 percent of flights were delayed). Orlando had sunnier news, breaking into the 10 best list with just 18 percent of its flights delayed (good news, of course, for visitors to Disney World). Detroit, too, joins the ranks of the elite, with 17 percent of its flights delayed.

And of course some airports have disappeared from the lists. That’s unfortunate for Seattle, which was one of the 10 best in 2008. It’s better news for Chicago Midway (MDW), which at 25 percent was one of the 10 worst in 2008.

So consult this list before you book your next ticket: if you can fly out of an alternate airport like Midway, the odds are better that you’ll arrive at your destination on time. And these days, on-time arrivals are just about the only thing airlines aren’t charging extra for.

America's Top Five Best Airports 2009
1. Salt Lake City (SLC)
2. Portland (PDX)
3. (Tie) Washington, D.C. (DCA)
3. (Tie) Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP)
5. (Tie) Los Angeles (LAX)
5. (Tie) San Diego (SAN)
5. (Tie) Tampa (TPA)

America's Top Five Worst Airports 2009
1. Newark (EWR)
2. Chicago (ORD)
3. Miami (MIA)
4. (Tie) Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW)
4. (Tie) New York (LGA)
4. (Tie) New York (JFK)

AlexTheMartian

August 10th, 2009, 05:19 AM

wait, wasn't it also rated one of the worse? how can it be best and worse at same time? :nuts:

LAsam

August 10th, 2009, 07:19 PM

wait, wasn't it also rated one of the worse? how can it be best and worse at same time? :nuts:

I think this ranking is based on delays. The other probably had more to do with aesthetics.

Westsidelife

August 14th, 2009, 04:58 AM

LOL, is that list for real?

Westsidelife

September 19th, 2009, 04:37 AM

http://cdn0.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3431/3932665644_06919dfcd8_o.jpg

Bradley West at LAX Ready for Takeoff in January (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/09/bradley_west_at_lax_ready_for_takeoff_in_january.php#more)

By Adrian Glick Kudler
September 18, 2009

Prepare yourself for some killer airport layout action--Los Angeles World Airports has released a final Environmental Impact Report for the Tom Bradley International Terminal renovation that will turn the terminal into Bradley West (so much sleeker). The proposal, part of the larger LAX Master Plan (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/11/lax_rendering_reveal_great_hall_and_more.php) (all of which is being designed by Fentress Architects), calls for the demolition of the concourses and the construction of two new concourses (north and south) just west them. The US Custom and Border protection area and the concession area in the core of the terminal will both be renovated and enlarged, and there will be new corridors for security-cleared passengers to travel between Terminals 3 and 4 and Bradley. There will be nine new gates, some relocation and consolidation of gates, and some taxiways will be moved west.

The Argonaut (http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2009/09/17/news_-_features/lax/l1.txt) reports that the plan is to start construction on the new north concourse in January, to be completed in January 2012, with the south concourse done in September or October 2012, and the core building in April 2013.

The Argonaut (http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2009/09/17/news_-_features/lax/l4.txt) also has news of current construction action at Bradley--part of the north side lower arrivals level is closed through January 21 for renovations, which "include new glass paneling, curved LED (light emitting-diode) media and entertainment zones and modern storefronts."

Final EIR for Tom Bradley Terminal reconfiguration and enhancement project released (http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2009/09/17/news_-_features/lax/l1.txt) [Argonaut]

Partial closure announced for portion of Bradley Terminal (http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2009/09/17/news_-_features/lax/l4.txt) [Argonaut]

http://cdn0.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2636/3931887435_3c9bef0997_o.jpg

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http://cdn0.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/3522/3931884435_378959ce20_o.jpg

http://cdn0.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2621/3931884141_9bef2fce05_o.jpg

http://cdn0.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2579/3932665192_473e3c99db_o.jpg

Westsidelife

September 19th, 2009, 05:23 AM

LAX (http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2009/09/17/news_-_features/lax/l1.txt)

Final EIR for Tom Bradley Terminal reconfiguration and enhancement project released.

By Helga Gendell

The final environmental impact report (FEIR) for the Bradley West Project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was released by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials on Thursday, September 10th.

This final EIR for the reconfiguration and enhancement of the Tom Bradley International Terminal incorporates and responds to comments received on the notice of preparation in the draft EIR, and includes corrections and additions to the draft environmental report.

LAWA — the city agency that operates LAX — the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners and other decision makers will use the FEIR to inform their decisions on the Bradley West Project as is required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), according to airport officials.

Mike Doucette, chief of airport planning, stated at a June meeting for the draft EIR that the plan is to have the final report by the end of the year, beginning construction on the north concourse in January, with a completion date of January 2012, and completion for the south concourse by September/October 2012. The main core building behind the Bradley Terminal would be completed by April 2013, he said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who represents the LAX area in the 11th District, said that many of his constituents had expressed concerns about the proposed temporary northwest contractor parking area planned for Westchester Parkway.

“I agreed with you that this would place an unreasonable traffic burden on Westchester and Playa del Rey, so I asked LAWA to find another solution to its parking needs,” Rosendahl told his constituents.

“I am pleased that this final EIR addresses that concern and selects the west construction staging/parking area to the south of World Way West as the primary parking area for the project.”

Under the “comments and responses” section of the final EIR, airport officials said that to avoid the space constraints and potential congestion of including the parking/staging area near the area assigned to the primary contractor for the Crossfield Taxiway Project, the parking area for the Bradley West Project would be established in the southern end of the west construction staging area, and officials would develop a southern access route to the proposed parking area.

Such a route would extend from an existing driveway located on the east side of Pershing Drive in Playa del Rey, approximately 1,900 feet south of World Way West.

The subject driveway provides direct northbound access onto Pershing and southbound access onto Pershing via an unsignalized opening in the existing raised median.

That driveway would be widened to provide adequate space for ingress/egress, and the median within Pershing would be modified to create a left-turn pocket for southbound vehicles to turn east into the driveway, officials said.

In addition, LAWA officials said they are evaluating the feasibility of improving the intersection as a signalized “T” intersection with Pershing Drive, enhancing safety for traffic turning left into or out of the driveway.

If this signal were to be implemented, it would be dependent on vehicle activation and minimize the interruption of traffic on Pershing Drive.

Bradley West Project

The existing terminal is approximately one million square feet, and the Bradley West project plans to add another million square feet, an addition which would likely end up being about 700,000 to 800,000 square feet once completed, said Doucette.

This project is the third part of the larger LAX Master Plan.

The first project was the South Airfield Project, which moved the runway 55 feet to the south.

The second project was the Crossfield Taxiway Program, which is currently underway. The taxiway project facilitates movement of some of the Group VI aircraft, such as the Airbus A380, the Boeing B747-8 and the Boeing 787 from the north side to the south side, and includes “remain overnight” aircraft parking.

The Bradley West project includes substantial improvements related to the concourses and central core area of Bradley Terminal. Key elements include construction of new north and south concourses just west of the existing concourses, which would be demolished.

The new concourses would provide larger hold rooms, improved and expanded concessions, airline lounges, passenger corridors and administrative offices.

The project includes construction of nine aircraft gates and associated loading bridge and apron areas along the west side of the new concourses.

Other improvements include relocation and consolidation of existing aircraft gates along the east side of the Bradley Terminal, in conjunction with the demolition of the existing concourses. Ten new aircraft gates, associated loading bridges and apron areas would be constructed along the east side of the new concourses to replace the 12 aircraft gates that currently exist at the terminal.

The existing U.S. Customs and Border Protection areas within the central core of the terminal would be renovated, improved and enlarged. Construction of secure/sterile passenger corridors (areas allowing only passengers who have gone through security clearance and are subject to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or airline security requirements) between Terminals 3 and 4 and the Bradley Terminal would take place, connecting them to facilitate passenger access.

Existing Taxiways S and Q, currently located in the area proposed for the new concourse and/or gates, would be relocated westward.

All of the documents for the final EIR are available for public review at the LAWA Administration Building, Airports and Facilities Planning Division, 7301 World Way West, Third Floor, Westchester.

Information, Dennis Quilliam at (310) 646-7614, ext. 1017.

The final EIR for the Bradley West Project is available online: “Projects — Publications” at www.ourlax.org/.

AlexTheMartian

September 19th, 2009, 09:39 AM

why Bradley West name? names like those are usually intended for Western versions of Eastern things. Is this a 2nd Bradley? I can not figure out if this is an addition or replacement...

milquetoast

September 19th, 2009, 10:14 AM

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee192/trolltoast/album%202/Airside20Looking20Southwest-JK_lowr.jpg FENTRESS/LAWA

Westsidelife

September 19th, 2009, 08:55 PM

why Bradley West name? names like those are usually intended for Western versions of Eastern things. Is this a 2nd Bradley? I can not figure out if this is an addition or replacement...

It is called Bradley West because we're expanding the terminal farther west. :doh:

It is both an addition and a replacement because we're demolishing the old concourses and replacing them with larger ones as well as expanding the Bradley Core.

milquetoast

September 20th, 2009, 05:55 AM

It is called Bradley West because we're expanding the terminal farther west. :doh:

I know!:doh: What is up with the Martian? :doh: I mean, really.. :doh:

AlexTheMartian

September 20th, 2009, 09:45 AM

no, i was confused because i thought the current Bradley location was being renamed Bradley West. I thought because of the elaborate design of the building that it was going to be the one that is right along the terminal loop roads.

Give me a break, hard to follow things on Earth from Mars...

Westsidelife

September 22nd, 2009, 04:10 PM

Airport Commissioners Approve $1.5B Bradley Terminal Upgrade (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_13388889)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
September 21, 2009

The Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday approved a $1.5 billion plan aimed at providing more room for overseas travelers and building gates capable of accommodating larger jetliners coming in and out of Los Angeles International Airport.

The massive project, dubbed "Bradley West," is expected to be completed by mid-2013 and funded entirely by the sale of airport bonds, LAX officials said.

"The work that's being proposed is work that needs to be done for the benefit of the city," Airport Commissioner Walter Zifkin said. "What we're embarking on is something that needs to be done."

Plans call for building nine new airline gates at the Tom Bradley International Terminal aimed at serving the next generation of super-sized jumbo jets, including the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Two of those gates are scheduled to open by early 2012, when LAX is expected to serve more Airbus A380 flights than any other airport in North America.

The new gates are also expected to reduce the need for requiring A380 passengers to use "remote gates" located at the west end of the airport, officials said. Travelers using the faraway gates must catch a shuttle to the Bradley terminal, where they are screened by federal authorities.

Several international carriers, including Qantas Airways, had said they would pull A380 service from LAX if the airport continued using the remote gates. Airport officials partially addressed that concern last year, when one gate was immediately reconfigured at the Bradley terminal.

"Qantas and some of the other airlines wanted to make sure we had a plan that would serve the A380 without using those remote gates, and we're giving them a better plan than what they ever asked for," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who chairs the council committee that oversees LAX.

Additionally, the Bradley terminal's old concourse area will be demolished to make way for two entirely new concourses on the north and south sides of the building, leading to the addition of 1 million square feet for ticketing desks, baggage claim areas, security screening, lounges, shops and restaurants.

An expanded federal customs inspection area will be built at the Bradley terminal, along with a pair of secured corridors connecting with Terminals 3 and 4 to provide easier access for airline passengers needing to catch another flight.

Plans also call for relocating a pair of taxiways, which will lead to demolishing the American Eagle Commuter Terminal. A new lease approved earlier this year calls for moving American Eagle's commuter operations to a vacant terminal just east of Terminal 8.

The Bradley West project now goes to the City Council for final consideration.

"This airport is the first point many international travelers will see when they come into the United States, so it's important that we give them something modern," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX.

Previous plans for LAX were based on projections of a significant increase in travelers and flights, but airport officials and local economists now say the upgrades are needed to improve a long-neglected facility that is routinely criticized as inadequate and dilapidated.

However, international carriers have expressed concerns about paying higher fees to pay for the upgrades to the Bradley terminal, especially as passenger numbers continue to dwindle nationwide amid the ongoing economic recession.

LAX, which was designed to handle 40 million passengers annually, has suffered its own share of severe declines over the last two years. The airport served 68 million travelers at its peak in 2000, but that number dropped to 59.5 million passengers in 2008, and is anticipated to decline even further by the end of this year.

"All the international airlines are struggling and having a hard time, no matter if you go to Asia or Europe, so anything that smacks of higher costs is something they're afraid of," said Jack Kyser, senior vice president and chief economist of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.

"At the same time, they have been calling for changes to Los Angeles International Airport for a long time," Kyser said. "Even though the airline forecast through 2010 is pretty scary, I think that over the long term this project will help us attract more business travelers and international tourists."

A daily round-trip overseas flight at LAX generates $623 million annually and provides 3,120 local jobs, according to an LAEDC report released two years ago.

The city has spent more than $250 million to examine how to upgrade the airport since 1993, when former Mayor Richard Riordan proposed a $12 billion plan that would have expanded the airport's capacity to handle 100 million passengers annually. That plan was set aside when airport neighbors complained that scores of homes and businesses would be demolished.

Then, former Mayor James K. Hahn came up with a $11 billion plan that called for an off-site ground transportation center in Manchester Square, where all passengers and baggage would have been screened. Security experts criticized that plan and said it increased the potential for terrorism because the facility concentrated airline passengers in a single location.

Shortly after taking office in 2005, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa scrapped most of Hahn's proposal and agreed to cap the airport at 78.9 million annual passengers, under the terms of a settlement reached with the county, three cities surrounding LAX and a community group opposed to airport expansion.

On Monday, one of those former opponents lauded the new plan for the Bradley terminal.

"How can we argue with making it safer, nice and more appropriate?" Denny Schneider, president of the Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion, told the airport commission.

Westsidelife

September 22nd, 2009, 04:11 PM

Airport Commission Looks to Replace Outdated Elevators, Escalators (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_13388876)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
September 21, 2009

The Board of Airport Commissioners on Monday put out a call for bids from companies interested in replacing and repairing 172 outdated elevators, escalators and moving walkways at Los Angeles International Airport.

The move marks the final phase in the airport's overall effort to replace 285 outdated and broken elevators, escalators and moving walkways at LAX by 2012. The equipment, installed 27 years ago, was supposed to have a 25-year life span.

LAsam

September 23rd, 2009, 01:55 AM

It is amazing how much progress has being made at LAX since Gina Marie Lindsey took over as CEO of LAWA. She appears to have been an excellent pick by Villaraigosa.

Westsidelife

September 23rd, 2009, 04:00 AM

^ That combined with the fact that we are in the age of globalization, where cities are competing with each other for business. Not to mention these upgrades are long overdue.

saiholmes

October 7th, 2009, 04:08 AM

LAX's FlyAway bus service coming to Irvine -- a first for Orange County
October 6, 2009 | 4:03 pm
The Los Angeles Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/12/16/lax2.jpg

LAX officials announced that the popular FlyAway bus service will add a new line from Irvine in time for the holiday travel season.

Officials estimate that the Irvine line -- the first from LAX into Orange County -- could serve up to 72,000 passengers in its first year of operation.

FlyAway already has lines connecting LAX to Van Nuys, Westwood and Union Station.

“We are pleased to reach an agreement with the city of Irvine to better serve our Orange County customers who travel through LAX, especially those traveling internationally,” said Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey in a statement. “Our FlyAway service is very popular with Los Angeles travelers. We believe Irvine has the potential to be a viable alternative for travelers who prefer to ride rather than drive to LAX.”

Officials said they hoped the service would reduce vehicle traffic into the airport as well.

--Shelby Grad

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/laxs-flyaway-bus-service-coming-to-irvine-a-first-for-orange-county.html#more

LAsam

October 9th, 2009, 08:20 PM

Why would people fly out of LAX if they live in Irvine? Wouldn't John Wayne or Long Beach be more convenient?

correfoc

October 9th, 2009, 08:34 PM

Very few flights from John Wayne to Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong.

pacific_mzt

October 11th, 2009, 06:14 AM

hi guys!! i going to LA in november and im gonna be just one half day in the crown plaza near of LAX do you know if is there a mall near??

cheers and thanks!!:)

Fern~Fern*

October 11th, 2009, 08:30 AM

hi guys!! i going to LA in november and im gonna be just one half day in the crown plaza near of LAX do you know if is there a mall near??

cheers and thanks!!:)

^ Not sure what type of stuff you're looking for. So the nearest malls around the Crown Plaza (Century Blvd) are:

Howard Hughes Center on Sepulveda & Centinela Blvd.(Westchester/L.A.).

Fox Hills Mall on Sepulveda & Slauson (Culver City)

Plaza El Segundo Sepulveda & Rosecrans (El Segundo)

FYI, they are definitely not walking distance at all. You will need a rental car to get around whch I'm sure you'll have...

Oh btw, what ever you do, do not go pass La Cienega (405 Fwy) Blvd on Century Blvd. Not that safest place to be once the sun sets in*

Fern~Fern*

October 11th, 2009, 08:35 AM

Very few flights from John Wayne to Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong.

^ There's no such flight out of John Wayne Airport. Not even San Diego offers flights to Asia at all...

The only International Airports that offer flight to Asia are:

Los Angeles International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
Tijuana Mexico International Airport on the border of US.

That we can drive to from L.A. for a flight!

AlexTheMartian

October 11th, 2009, 10:29 AM

^ Not sure what type of stuff you're looking for. So the nearest malls around the Crown Plaza (Century Blvd) are:

Howard Hughes Center on Sepulveda & Centinela Blvd.(Westchester/L.A.).

Fox Hills Mall on Sepulveda & Slauson (Culver City)

Plaza El Segundo Sepulveda & Rosecrans (El Segundo)

FYI, they are definitely not walking distance at all. You will need a rental car to get around whch I'm sure you'll have...

Oh btw, what ever you do, do not go pass La Cienega (405 Fwy) Blvd on Century Blvd. Not that safest place to be once the sun sets in*

Just this week, the Fox Hills Mall got renamed to "Westfield Culver City", after the re-opening of the majorly renovated mall.

Fern~Fern*

October 11th, 2009, 06:59 PM

Just this week, the Fox Hills Mall got renamed to "Westfield Culver City", after the re-opening of the majorly renovated mall.

^ Yes!!!!

There's a huge Best Buy and a Super Target w/ grocery store and who knows what else...

Oh, B.J's too :naughty:

AlexTheMartian

October 12th, 2009, 07:00 AM

^ Yes!!!!

There's a huge Best Buy and a Super Target w/ grocery store and who knows what else...

Oh, B.J's too :naughty:

I can't wait to check it out some day. I also can't wait for the new mall in Santa Monica.

A mall near me, West Covina, just opened a Best Buy attached to it this year.

I'm sorry to go off topic, but unfortunately I have nothing to add about airports...

Fern~Fern*

October 12th, 2009, 07:21 AM

I can't wait to check it out some day. I also can't wait for the new mall in Santa Monica.

A mall near me, West Covina, just opened a Best Buy attached to it this year.

I'm sorry to go off topic, but unfortunately I have nothing to add about airports...

^ So I see you are a mall rat, eh?

As far as Airport stuff goes, I read somewhere Emirates will fly to LAX-Dubai non-stop by the end of year. I hope they use an A380 for this route...

Kenni

October 12th, 2009, 09:58 AM

Just this week, the Fox Hills Mall got renamed to "Westfield Culver City", after the re-opening of the majorly renovated mall.

Memories,..I used to ditch school and go to Fox HIlls mall when attending Westchester High.

losangelino

October 13th, 2009, 06:15 AM

^ So I see you are a mall rat, eh?

As far as Airport stuff goes, I read somewhere Emirates will fly to LAX-Dubai non-stop by the end of year. I hope they use an A380 for this route...

I'm booked on a flight mid November on Emirates from LA to Dubai so that is a definite yes. Intinerary says 77L so I think that's a Boeing 777.

Fern~Fern*

October 13th, 2009, 08:01 AM

I'm booked on a flight mid November on Emirates from LA to Dubai so that is a definite yes. Intinerary says 77L so I think that's a Boeing 777.

^^ No way... is it the innagural flight by any chance?

77L = Boeing 777 Long Range model... :banana: So send me a post card from Dubai!

Westsidelife

October 13th, 2009, 09:04 PM

They had originally planned on using A380s, but decided to switch over to 777s.

Fern~Fern*

October 13th, 2009, 09:08 PM

^ I guess they want to test the market to see how well it does. for starters definitely T7LR works for me, once the numbers picks up then we will hopefully see the 380 here in LAX.

milquetoast

October 14th, 2009, 04:30 AM

We'll have plenty of A380s from Quantas, and I expect that the statement of L A X having more than any other American airport will stand.

Kenni

October 14th, 2009, 08:50 AM

Is that rue Milque? How many airlines are bringing A380's to LAX?

Fern~Fern*

October 14th, 2009, 08:53 AM

Is that rue Milque? How many airlines are bringing A380's to LAX?

^ So far only Qantas, why you like BIG airplanes???

Kenni

October 14th, 2009, 09:46 AM

^ So far only Qantas, why you like BIG airplanes???

I like 'em not too big and with a pointy nose.

So besides Quatas, who's bringing them?

Westsidelife

October 16th, 2009, 07:24 AM

LA Council Approves $1.5B Bradley Terminal Expansion (http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_13562478)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
October 14, 2009

A $1.5 billion makeover aimed at handling more overseas travelers and accommodating larger jetliners at Los Angeles International Airport was approved Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

Airport officials plan to expand the Tom Bradley International Terminal by 1 million square feet to make room for ticketing desks, security screening, lounges, shops and restaurants.

The project, dubbed "Bradley West," also calls for building nine new airline gates capable of handling the next generation of super-sized jumbo jets, including the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Two of the new airline gates are scheduled to open by the start of 2012, while the overall project is expected to be completed by mid-2013 and funded entirely by the sale of airport bonds.

"Renovating the Bradley terminal and putting on these new contact gates will ensure that we can capture our fair share of the airline industry and the routes they will choose," said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who chairs the council committee that oversees LAX.

Plans also call for expanding the terminal's federal customs inspection area and building a pair of secured corridors connecting with Terminals 3 and 4.

The project also calls for relocating a pair of taxiways, which will lead to demolishing the American Eagle Commuter Terminal. A new lease approved earlier this year calls for moving American Eagle's commuter operations to a vacant terminal just east of Terminal 8.

The airport commission last month signed off on the environmental impact report for Bradley West, and is scheduled on Monday to consider a pair of construction contracts for the massive project, said Michael Molina, LAX's senior director of external affairs.

The City Council approved the Bradley West project the same day that that Evergreen, Colo.-based aviation consultant Michael Boyd predicted that passenger traffic will continue to decline at LAX through 2011.

Boyd's annual forecast for 150 airports across the country included a prediction that LAX will handle 55 million travelers by the end of 2009, then drop to 51 million passengers in 2011, followed by several years of slow growth.

"This is based on the economic conditions and demographics of the Los Angeles basin, along with what changes the airlines might be planning over the next few years," said Boyd, who has released his independent studies since 1992.

The Bradley terminal has not seen any kind of substantial upgrades since it was built more than 25 years ago to accommodate an onslaught on international travelers coming to Los Angeles for the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The aging facility is often derided as being outdated by travelers and the airline industry.

"We are literally spending billions of dollars in modernizing LAX," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes the airport.

"It hasn't been done since 1984 when the Olympics were held here, so it's embarrassing for people to come to a destination airport and to find something in this kind of condition."

milquetoast

October 16th, 2009, 10:41 AM

^^ ..and we plan on starting construction around 2017...

xXFallenXx

October 17th, 2009, 05:30 AM

^ 2013 doesn't seem to bad to me at all. :dunno:

Westsidelife

October 17th, 2009, 05:53 AM

^ Because it's not. ;)

PragmaticIdealist

October 17th, 2009, 06:50 AM

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2442/4017144342_c8ae3c9352_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/4016397293_c6a2251917.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/4017200582_6e1971df23.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/4016468301_51a783a0b6.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2613/4016559467_70bc10fcc9.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/4017517793_11dd9ee194.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/4016547419_1a47976fca.jpg

croyboy

October 17th, 2009, 06:05 PM

^^ EXPAND BEFORE NEIGHBORS MOVE IN AND IT'S TOO LATE!!

Westsidelife

October 18th, 2009, 10:04 PM

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site577/2009/1017/20091017__C_TN19-LAX+PC4EZMB.JPG
Each new gate built at the Tom Bradley International
Terminal will be capable of serving supersized
jetliners.

Board Eyeing $1.13 Billion in LAX Upgrades (http://www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_13588162)

By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer
October 17, 2009

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners is poised Monday to consider a pair of construction contracts totaling $1.13 billion to build nine new airline gates and add 1 million square feet to the Tom Bradley International Terminal by 2013.

If approved, the move would mark the largest awarding of construction contracts at one time for a single project in city history, funded through a combination of bonds and airport revenues, said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles International Airport.

"This is the front door to the United States for millions of international passengers every year, but our front door has, for years, not really reflected the city," Lindsey said. "This project is going to be a tangible way for our front door to be significantly upgraded and something that the city can be proud of."

The first contract, worth more than $545.5 million, calls on the Phoenix-based joint venture of Austin Commercial and Walsh Construction Co. to build nine new airline gates for the so-called Bradley West terminal.

Each gate will be equipped with dual passenger loading bridges and spacious concourses capable of handling passengers arriving and departing on supersized jetliners such as the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Two years ago, Lindsey promised the Los Angeles City Council that at least two of those gates would be built by January 2012, and said she has remained steadfast to that commitment.

The second contract, worth $584.2 million, would require Austin-Walsh to demolish the Bradley terminal's old concourse area and build a pair of new concourses on the north and south sides of the structure, leading to the addition of 1 million square feet for shops, restaurants, ticketing desks, security screening and baggage claim areas.

The contract would also cover construction costs for an expanded federal customs inspection area and a pair of secured corridors connecting with Terminals 3 and 4 to provide easier access for airline passengers needing to catch another flight.

"This is the defining moment of LAX and its modernization, and clearly puts us out front in making this the airport of the future," said Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX. "I believe that people coming to America for the first time will be pleased to see this place when it's all done."

Austin-Walsh was awarded a separate $10.9 million contract in April for pre-construction services related to the Bradley West project.

While the Austin-Walsh venture did not submit the lowest construction bid, the group was selected "based on a formula that calculated the proposed contract fee, their experience in handling large projects and the scoring factors that our selection team had rated them on," Lindsey said.

More than 30 airlines operate from the Bradley terminal, which was built just before the 1984 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles.

Even though the airport has spent about $700 million over the last several years to refurbish the aging terminal, the project did not allow officials to build new facilities beyond the original footprint.

"We went into that initial project with eyes wide open and we fully appreciate and recognize what was accomplished, but we were never sure if and when the Bradley West project would ever be implemented," said Frank Clark, head of LAXTEC Corp., the agency that represents the airlines operating in the Bradley terminal.

An environmental impact report for the Bradley West project was finally approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council and was green-lighted as part of a legal settlement reached nearly four years ago, when it was listed as one of several projects that could proceed as part of the overall LAX modernization plan.

The Bradley West project is expected to generate an estimated 4,000 jobs for the region, but the construction comes as fewer overseas travelers are passing through LAX amid the ongoing economic recession.

"I think this is a huge deal for the airport and for the city because there aren't a lot of fabulous things happening right now," Lindsey said. "There's a kind of symbolism in building something grand and new, and to generate some jobs at a time when a lot of the news we're hearing isn't so happy."

milquetoast

October 19th, 2009, 03:00 AM

This is good! I wish they had better renders of these interiors.

AlexTheMartian

October 19th, 2009, 04:27 AM

I might not be seeing it right, but to me it doesn't look like a render, it looks like a painting. Lighting seems a bit odd. but regardless, bigger pictures would be better :)

The Los Angeles Newspaper Group websites all seem to often have no larger version of pictures. Clicking the pictures usually just bring a pop-up of the same size image. unless the provide an actual photo gallery, and then it is large pictures (and you can even order the photos too, i think)

Westsidelife

October 20th, 2009, 07:18 AM

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3527/4027956019_d28a611722_o.jpg
Photo: Architectural rendering of the Bradley West concourse. Credit: Fentress Associates / Los Angeles
World Airports

Major Modernization Contracts for LAX Approved (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/10/major-modernization-contract-for-lax-approved.html)

By Dan Weikel
October 19, 2009

More than $1.1 billion in construction contracts to renovate facilities at Los Angeles International Airport were approved today by L.A.'s airport commission.

The plan, a major step in the modernization of LAX, also calls for building new gates to accommodate the next generation of large commercial planes.

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners awarded two contracts to the Walsh Austin Joint Venture, which will reconfigure the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

“This action is a tremendous step forward in the modernization of LAX,” said commissioner Walt Zifkin. “Nothing has really happened since 1984. Hopefully, it won’t take this long to do the next modernization project.”

The Bradley terminal “is the centerpiece of the current modernization program,” Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, said in an earlier interview. “The project will change how the airport looks to passengers and how international passengers arrive and depart. We are completely redoing the front door.”

Airport officials plan to add 1 million square feet of space to the terminal to make room for ticket counters, security checkpoints and passenger lounges, as well as expanded customs and immigration facilities. Restaurants and retail stores will occupy a grand central hall.

The so-called Bradley West project also calls for nine new gates that will handle the latest in large commercial airliners, such the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the giant Airbus A380, which can carry more than 800 passengers depending on the seating arrangement.

Two of the gates are scheduled to open by January 2012. The overall project is expected to be completed by mid-2013.

Except for the current remodeling of the terminal’s interior, it has not had any major improvements since the 1984 Summer Olympics. The aging facility often receives poor to average marks from passengers and airlines.

Airport officials are proceeding with the Bradley project despite a severe national recession and the worst economic downturn in the history of the airline industry, which has led to the cancellation and postponement of orders for aircraft, including the new wide-body designs. As a result, major airports around the country have been postponing expensive improvement projects.

The latest forecasts by the Boyd Group, an aviation research and consulting firm in Colorado, predict that the number of passengers at LAX will decline from about 59 million in 2008 to about 55 million by the end of this year. The volume is expected to dip to 51 million in 2011 and recover somewhat by 2014. The passenger volume at LAX peaked at about 68 million in 2000.

Despite the economy, Lindsey said she is optimistic that the airport will be able to finance the project by selling bonds to investors in the months ahead. To cover the debt payments, she said, the airport must carefully manage its operations to save money, increase revenue from concessions and parking, push Congress to increase the passenger-facilities fee and gradually raise fees and rents for the airlines.