Tom Bradley International Terminal Set For Major Upgrades
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved
environmental impact and compliance reports Tuesday for the
reconfiguration of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The Bradley West Project,
as it is known, is one of the improvements included in the LAX
Master Plan. The project calls for new concourses to replace
existing ones; the addition of nine gates to the west side of the
terminal to supplement existing gates on the east side of the
terminal; addition of secured concourses between Terminals 3 and 4
and TBIT so passengers with connecting flights do not have to exit
the terminals and go through security screening again; renovation
and modernization of portions of the existing TBIT; and relocation
of existing Taxiways S and Q and a vehicle service road that
connect the north and south runway complexes.
"Today's action by the Board is a cornerstone of the work to
build international facilities worthy of the LAX name," said Los
Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey,
adding, "A world of international travelers and the airlines who
serve them have now come a giant step closer to the delivery of one
America's premier international gateways."
Specifically, the Board certified the Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) for the Bradley West Project and adopted the LAWA
executive director's LAX Plan Compliance Report, the Statement of
Overriding Considerations, CEQA Findings, and the project's
Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
The Board's approval of the Bradley West Project will now be
transmitted to the Los Angeles City Council with a recommendation
that the City Council concur with the Board's actions.
The Bradley West Project includes several gates specifically
designed to accommodate new-generation aircraft such as the Airbus
A380, Boeing 747-8 and Boeing 787, with features like multiple
passenger loading bridges for each aircraft, larger passenger
lounges/holdrooms, and wider taxiways and aircraft tarmac areas.
The central core of TBIT, which currently provides for passenger
processing (i.e., ticketing, baggage check/claim, security
screening, concessions, etc.) would also be modified to provide
additional floor areas and improvements to serve existing and
future passengers at TBIT. The areas in the central core that house
the federal inspection services of U.S. Customs & Border
Protection, as well as airline and terminal operations offices, and
concessions areas also would be renovated and enlarged.
The Bradley West Project is one element of the overall LAX
Master Plan approved by the City Council in December 2004. It is
expected to provide a substantial number of construction employment
opportunities and direct and secondary regional economic benefits,
including the need for construction goods and services associated
with a large capital improvement project.