...Los Angeles. The Bradley West terminal and future modernizations will establish a new regional icon that embodies the character of Los Angeles and transforms LAX into the airport of the future. It captures the rhythmic motion of waves and ocean swells, suggesting the L.A. culture that constantly reinvents itself.”

Image: Fentress Architects

The 15 new boarding gates and enlarged passenger areas are sized to accommodate new-generation aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet and the Boeing B787 Dreamliner.

Fentress described the design as “flat-seam stainless steel will stretch over column-free structures, creating a cohesive theme and world-class identity that complements the parabolic arches of the scene-setting LAX Theme Building.”

The project also will address Los Angeles World Airports’ goal for a “greener” LAX. In accordance with LAWA’s Sustainable Design and Construction Guidelines released in 2007, LAWA’s construction projects must optimize the use of recycled building materials, minimize the amount of energy used in construction, and optimize energy efficiency.

The architecture and construction of the new facilities are designed to achieve a LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The first element of the LAX Master Plan, the South Airfield Improvement Program, was completed in 2007. The one-year, $333-million project reconfigured the airport’s south runway complex to improve airfield safety.

Unrelated to the LAX Master Plan, LAWA has also made significant passenger safety improvements inside the terminals.

LAWA recently completed the first phase of installation of in-line baggage screening with enhanced automated technology to inspect each checked bag behind-the-scene.

In December 2009, LAWA and the Transportation Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security secured $150 million in federal funds to complete the in-line baggage screening system in several terminals, which will make travel through LAX safer and faster.

Los Angeles International Airport, the sixth busiest airport in the world, offers more than 565 daily flights to 81 destinations in the U.S. and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 65 international destinations.

The Tom Bradley International Terminal is LAX’s primary facility serving international travelers, with nearly 30 airlines operating in the terminal today. Last year, the airlines at the Bradley Terminal served over 8.6 million international travelers, or 57% of LAX’s overall 15.1 million international passenger volume.

Total number of passengers at LAX last year was more than 56.5 million.