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- LAX is restructuring terminals and gates to enhance wayfinding and will rename and consolidate some facilities.
- A new alphanumeric gate numbering system airport-wide is to be implemented, and people mover stations will be lettered.
- Completion of the automated people mover project is delayed, and is now expected to be ready by spring 2025.
Airport restructuring
Los Angeles International Airport, commonly referred to as LAX, is one of the largest airports in the United States and has several terminals. A document shared on X, by numble, reveals that LAX plans to rename some of its terminals and gates as part of a wayfinding enhancement program. Currently, the airport has nine terminals, including Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), and a tenth (Terminal 9) will be added in the future. Now, the airport is planning on changing some of the names, and the changes are as follows:
- Combining Terminal 1 and Concourse 0 to create a consolidated Terminal 1
- Combining Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 for a consolidated Terminal 2
- Renaming Terminal B (TBIT), which includes MSC and Bradley West Gates, to Tom Bradley Terminal 3
- Combining Terminal 7 and Terminal 8 to create a consolidated Terminal 7
- Conversion of all gate numberings to a new gate numbering system. The gate renumbering shall be an alphanumeric system consistently airport-wide, starting over at each boarding area.
What would have been the future Terminal 9 will be named Terminal 8 instead. This name change may confuse those already familiar with LAX, but the names of the people mover stations will undoubtedly cause confusion. Though the terminals will be numbered 1-8, as mentioned above, gates will be sorted alphanumerically. For example, Terminal 1 has two concourses, A and B, so its gates will be A1-A2 and so forth.
LAX will rename its terminals, gates, people mover stations, and other facilities as part of a wayfinding enhancement program. Terminals 2 and 3 become Terminal 2/T2. Tom Bradley Terminal becomes Terminal 3/T3. People Mover stations get letters A-G. https://t.co/Wy0w3GovLa pic.twitter.com/mk8iGKvsmi
— numble (@numble) April 22, 2024
The new people mover system under construction at the airport will have lettered stops, but those will not correspond with gate numbers. In the diagram embedded in the document shared online, station A is located right in front of TBIT (which will be renamed Terminal 3). Those needing to access the C gates will get off at the B stop, and passengers going to the K and L gates will get off at the C stop.
Recent people mover news
In February, it was reported that the completion of the automated people mover project at LAX had been delayed once again. Now, the new system is expected to be ready in the spring of 2025. Originally, completion was expected in 2023, which would have made the system available for the Copa America happening in the US this summer. Construction was already 96% complete by February, but the project kept running into delays like very wet winters and the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to LAist, when asked for comment, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which runs LAX, declined to comment on the timeline. Instead, a spokesperson said,
“The Department is in active discussions with the Automated People Mover (APM) Contractor to resolve outstanding claims and has no additional information at this time.”
What are your thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
This post was brought to you by Simple Flying. Written By Lukas Souza.
When I 1st came into the ‘Industry’ – I worked at LAX.
Looked after Terminal Paging in 7 & 8.(and PAWOBs – passengers arriving without bags).
This re-ordering reads to me as a really good program.
(ps – always enjoy your newsletters – thank you)
The naming system for the people mover stops defies any logic. Why not at each stop, have a large sign that says,
“This Stop for Terminal “X” Gates Numbers Y to Z.”
I guess that’s just too simple for the “government types” involved.