The new extension of Terminal 1 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has opened. The $477.5 million facility adds increased capacity with new passenger check-in, security screening, baggage claims and future connection to the Automated People Mover (APM) train system.
The building includes two new baggage carousels on the Lower/Arrivals Level, additional ticket counters on the Upper/Departures Level and a six-lane Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint on the Concourse Level.
The 283,000-square-foot extension of Terminal 1 will connect to Terminal 2 behind security when the terminal connector is completed this fall, allowing passengers to move between the two buildings without having to be re-screened and providing another access point for greater flexibility.
Southwest Airlines, which has 13 gates in Terminal 1, gained a third baggage carousel and three additional ticket counters in the new portion of the building, as well as space on the fourth floor for offices. The airline’s crew base is also housed in the new facility. Southwest passengers can use the new extension to go through security screening before heading to their gate.
The new portion of the ticketing lobby includes self-service check-in kiosks with biometric and touch-free capabilities from Materna IPS (Intelligent Passenger Solutions). Frontier customers are already using the kiosks, and LAWA is working with other airlines to expand their use in the future.
The building also includes additional restrooms on all three levels and an indoor service-animal relief area on the Lower/Arrivals Level near the Baggage Claim area.
The extension to Terminal 1 was built with sustainability in mind and is certified as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project also achieved an exemplary performance credit in its LEED score for its use and incorporation of recycled materials throughout the building, along with the contractor’s ability to recycle a large amount of waste material that was generated during construction. The building includes 35 percent recycled materials and 78 percent of construction waste was recycled.
Hensel Phelps served as the general contractor on the Terminal 1.5 project, while PGAL was the architect. Construction began in 2018, with a total of 2,955 workers, including 31.5 percent local workers, involved in the project. Of 1,008,300 hours worked, 30.2 percent were by local workers.