Known for offering cheap airplane tickets, cheap vacation packages, as well as discount hotel rooms LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) is also known and ranked as one of the worst airports in the country. In an effort to turn that reputation around, construction commenced on Monday, projected to cost $1.5 billion, to expand its international terminal.
LAX is the worlds 6th busiest airport (handling over 8.6 million travelers) and was ranked 19th out of 20 large U.S. airports in a recent J.D. Power and Associates survey of 12,000 airline travelers.
Improvements to the Tom Bradley International Terminal are expected to be finished by 2013 include:
Nine new gates will be added so that the airport can handle jumbo jets, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-800.
Two additional concourses will be built, adding over 1.25 million square feet of shops, restaurants and other passenger services.
Customs and immigration facilities will be expanded.
Two new corridors linked to domestic terminals are planned so that travelers making connections will not have to go through multiple security screenings.
This terminal has not undergone major improvements since its opening in 1984. Passengers have been forced to take buses to inaccessible gates because of a shortage of gates connected to the main terminal. The airport was rated poorly when it came to accessibility, terminal facilities, food and retail services, security screen, and total customer satisfaction.
The new construction should generate 4,000 construction jobs. LAX is competing against other major West Coast airports to serve as the gateway to the Pacific.
Airport fees paid by the airlines and passenger facility charges will rise as the construction costs will be paid by airport operating revenues. It has not been announced how much airport fees will be increased.