Airport Commission approves environmental impact at Los Angeles International Airport

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners today approved environmental impact and compliance reports 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.

According to a 2007 study completed by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), LAX serves a vital role relative to trade and tourism and the associated employment and economic benefits. LAX flights in 2006 created 363,700 direct and indirect jobs with annual wages of $19.3 billion in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura Counties. The LAEDC study also found that an average transoceanic flight traveling round-trip from LAX every day added $623 million in economic output and sustained 3,120 direct and indirect jobs in Southern California with $256 million in annual wages.

The Tom Bradley International Terminal is LAX's primary facility serving international travelers, with nearly 35 airlines operating in the terminal today. Since its opening in 1984, hundreds of millions of international travelers have passed through TBIT.