About

The $1.7 billion West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal, a 15-gate concourse, is among the most modern airport facilities in the world. Opened to the public in May 2021, it features cutting-edge technology, stunning architecture, a checked-bag storage system, biometric boarding gates and the latest amenities for travelers to experience.

This five-level, 750,000-square-foot facility serves both international and domestic flights. At nearly 1,700 feet in length, the West Gates concourse is located just west of the world-famous Tom Bradley International Terminal and was completed over the course of four and a half years.

The West Gates was designed around a modern, digitally-based travel experience. Guests can enjoy numerous comfortable seating options with thousands of places to plug in electrical devices  while accessing next-generation wireless internet, touchscreen kiosks and the most advanced baggage handling and boarding systems of any airport in the United States today.

The roof of the West Gates emulates a swell in the ocean that is the formation of the next wave to arrive. This complements the architectural design of the Tom Bradley International Terminal roof to the east, which represents an ocean wave breaking onto the shore. The curved roofline also enhances the spaces contained within the building, with the architectural design allowing for great views and natural daylight in public spaces.

The building is divided into several neighborhoods that each include aircraft gates, a restroom core, as well as retail and concession spaces, with interior finishes and colors selected to reflect the facility's location and urban fabric of Los Angeles. The main core of the building is considered the "downtown" area due to the high ceilings and elevator towers. Colorful mosaic tiles pay homage to the mid-century modern design of LAX, with colors changing to denote the different neighborhoods from the desert to the sea.

The West Gates at Tom Bradley features many passenger amenities, including two nursing rooms, a service-animal relief area, art exhibitions, a quiet room and three children's play areas.

Additional features include:

• Electronic self-boarding gates with biometric photo match capabilities at all 15 gates
• Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, which is almost three times as fast as older Wi-Fi infrastructure
• Improved reception for cell phones, supporting 5G speeds
• 14 interactive kiosks that provide access to a wide variety of airport information, including flight status, ground transportation options, wayfinding maps, and other guest amenities such as concessions
• Nearly 60,000 square feet of space for future airport lounges
• A robust arts program, with new exhibitions and performance spaces to enhance the guest experience and complement the path passengers travel through the tunnel and inside the new building

The West Gates concourse is connects to the Tom Bradley International Terminal via an underground pedestrian tunnel. The tunnel originates at a new gateway facility connected to Tom Bradley near Gate 148 and includes moving walkways, courtesy passenger shuttles and 24 100-inch video screens. The northern portion of the tunnel provides two-way traffic for outbound passengers as well as arriving guests on domestic flights or those who have been pre-cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at their departure point. The south half of the tunnel provides a secure route to the CBP's Federal Inspection Station at Tom Bradley International Terminal. The West Gates concourse is accessible by airfield buses, with ramp-level bus ports near the center and north end of the building.

The concourse also includes a ramp tower where LAX Airport Operations staff control aircraft surface movements in the area between the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the West Gates, acting as a complement to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) control tower.

The West Gates concourse was certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2021 and meets the requirements of CAL Green Tier 1. Specific sustainability achievements include:

• "Cool" roofing and paving materials that reduce heat absorption
• The project reduces electricity consumption by 29 percent through a combination of incorporating daylighting, insulated glass, efficient HVAC and smart interior lighting design systems
• Reduction of 41 percent in water consumption, led by the installation of water-saving plumbing fixtures
• Use of more than 24-percent recycled content in the building and a gray water piping system for future connection

The project had an estimated 95 percent of its construction waste diverted from landfills.