The modernization of the aging terminal, built in the early 1980s, is expected to transform the entire passenger experience from the curb to the gate, and will include a new 12-lane security screening checkpoint; a fully automated checked-baggage inspection and sortation system; a new and expanded dining and retail collection featuring activated gate hold rooms with lounge-style seating; refurbished arrival/baggage claim area; replacement of the passenger boarding bridges; renovations to airline support office space; modernized aircraft parking/apron pavement and hydrant fueling system; improvements to the building facade and relocation of the main terminal entrances to the west end of the building to ease traffic congestion.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2018 and will be phased to minimize inconvenience to customers, employees and guests.
“The Terminal 1 improvement project will bring a better passenger experience and 1,500 construction jobs to LAX,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “As part of our $7-billion investment in LAX, we’re remodeling every terminal and creating 40,000 jobs. Because Los Angeles deserves a world-class airport.”
When completed, the passenger’s journey from curb to aircraft boarding bridge will be transformed and designed to provide a more efficient and exciting travel experience. By reorganizing the interior uses of the building and shifting the ticketing lobby and main entrances to the west, passenger drop-off and pickup areas are anticipated to improve, as well as congestion in front of Terminal 1 reduced.
Once inside the terminal, passengers will enjoy a brightened Southwest Airlines ticketing lobby with sleek design features and additional windows for more natural light. New, more efficient security screening systems and added lanes are anticipated to shorten federal passenger security screening lines.
In collaboration with Southwest Airlines and LAWA, the modernized concourse design by Westfield will feature a hip, modern Californian feel that taps into the LA feeling and energy of the Southwest brand. The design vision forges the unexpected with efficiency, which is expressed through simple but sculptural forms curated with artisanal, creative and fun products, palette and finishes. The design is expected to bring the terminal to life with opened and expanded views to flight operations and inviting sightlines outside, as well as authentic layers of materials and finishes, sculpted facades and pops of color inside.
Westfield’s new retail and dining collection in Terminal 1 will offer 24 spaces across 25,242 square feet—nearly double the existing program. Plans include full-service restaurants along with a variety of casual and grab-and-go food offerings, as well as new high-end retail and traveler essentials. The program will open in a phased approach, with the first Westfield developed spaces scheduled to open late summer 2015.
When finished, Terminal 1 will accommodate 13 of the airline’s larger Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, with updated passenger boarding bridges, aircraft apron pavement, upgraded hydrant fueling system and electric-vehicle chargers to support its electric ground service equipment program.
The Southwest Airlines Program Team includes AvAirPros (program manager), ODEMCO (design manager), PGAL (design & engineering) and Hensel Phelps Construction Company (construction manager). The work is part of LAX’s $7.3-billion capital improvement program, LAX Is Happening, projected to last through 2019.
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