For Immediate Release
July 22, 2019
Contact:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
(Los Angeles, CA) This morning, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino (District 15) joined Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) CEO Deborah Flint and other airport officials for a hard-hat tour of the Midfield Satellite Concourse, greeting dozens of HireLAX graduates and other workers at the $2 billion facility.
“Once complete, the Midfield Satellite Concourse will strengthen our city's global connections, bringing Los Angeles to the world and the world to Los Angeles," said Mayor Garcetti. "Historic infrastructure investments at our airport will mean good jobs for our workforce and more growth for our economy, all while delivering a world-class experience travelers expect and deserve."
"Los Angeles has a long and proud history of investing in its future by investing in infrastructure,” said Councilmember Buscaino. “This new concourse will not only improve the airport experience for future LAX travelers, but also invests in our region's workforce by providing hundreds of good-paying construction jobs to local residents."
As of last week, wages and benefits for the 6,236 workers who have had a role in building the concourse totaled $207 million, with $68 million of that going to 1,911 local employees. About 30.64 percent of the workers on this project live in Los Angeles and surrounding cities. The project has also created union-sponsored craft jobs for 83 people, including 36 graduates of the HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program.
“We are transforming this airport through a unique partnership, making sure that the people of this region are a part of the fabric of LAX for generations to come,” said Deborah Flint, Chief Executive Officer, LAWA. “It’s truly inspirational to see local talent molding the future of this airport and redefining how people from around the world experience Los Angeles’ front door.”
The Midfield Satellite Concourse – which broke ground in February 2017 and is being constructed by a joint venture led by Turner and PCL Construction – is a 12-gate addition that will be connected to the Tom Bradley International Terminal by two tunnels, including a 1,000-foot corridor for passengers. The western half of the tunnels are already complete while work continues on the eastern half, as well as an addition to Tom Bradley that will house elevators and escalators to reach the tunnels.
Inside the concourse building itself, installation of escalators is well underway, along with terrazzo flooring and the framing of interior walls.
The interior of the facility is designed to represent three neighborhoods – Downtown (DTLA), Mid-City and Ocean – differentiated from one another through simple sculptural forms, artisanal materials and creative palettes. Concessions inside will reflect a taste of local Los Angeles fare, and other passenger amenities will include state-of-the-art technology such as biometric boarding, a variety of seating and a modern baggage-handling system that will allow for up to 24-hour storage before flights. The concourse is expected to open in mid-2020.
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX, the fourth-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX. LAX served more than 87.5 million passengers in 2018 and offers an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 109 cities in the U.S. and 1,281 weekly nonstop flights to 93 markets in 47 countries on 69 commercial airlines. LAX ranks 10th in the world in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.4 million tons of air cargo. LAX handled 707,883 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2018.
LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion; $966 million in state and local taxes; and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.
LAX was honored as having the “Best Overall Customer Service Program” by Airports Council International-North America; named the “Best Airport for Breastfeeding Moms” by Mamava; selected for the Top 10 “Best of the U.S.’s Big Airports” (Wall Street Journal) and “Most Pet-Friendly Airports in the U.S. (Mental Floss); named the second-most improved airport in the U.S. by JD Power; received an “Innovation Award” from the L.A. Better Business Challenge for its Central Utility Plant; and named a “Business Leader in Air Quality” by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
LAX is also the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
