DRMumbai: Delta Air Lines and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) have formally kicked off the Delta Sky Way at LAX project — the $1.86-billion plan to modernise, upgrade and connect Terminals 2, 3, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B).
Construction is expected to begin this fall. The project kick-off following the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) recent approval of the largest tenant improvement award in its history, which cleared the way for the Delta Sky Way at LAX to begin.
Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles Mayor; Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta; Mike Bonin, Member, LA City Council; Sean Burton, President, BOAC, and Deborah Flint, CEO, LAWA, celebrated the milestone at a press conference where they also shared new renderings of the future facility.
“Angeles is constantly reaching new heights, and today’s project launch creates jobs and forges global connections. The modernisation of Terminals 2 and 3 is an investment in our economy and people, and Delta’s partnership is helping to accelerate an era of growth and innovation in Los Angeles,” said Eric Garcetti.
“This is really a milestone for us, it means we are finally making more progress at LAX,” said Sean Burton, who was joined by Valeria Velasco, Vice President, BOAC, and Commissioners Jeffrey Daar, Gabriel Eshagian and Bea Hsu.“We understand that we have much more work to do, but it is important to acknowledge the steps that got us here and to celebrate the benchmarks and milestones along the way,” Burton added.
“This will play a significant role in moving LAX to the top slot of global airports.Our vision is a gold-standard airport, and one of our strategic plan is delivering exceptional facilities and experiences at the same time,” said Deborah Flint.
“And even though that is no easy feat, I am confident that with the team at Delta and the partnership we have, that we can achieve that vision. Nearly 10 years ago, we made a commitment to be LA’s premier airline. Today, LAX is one of the most important hubs in our network where we operate more than 170 daily flights and connect more passengers to our partner airlines than anywhere else in the US, said Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta.
“The Delta Sky Way at LAX project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in and transform the airport experience in partnership with LAWA and the City of Los Angeles. Delta is excited and proud to be leading the way not just in LA but in our hubs across the country, with more than $12 billion in airport infrastructure investments in progress over the next few years.”
Delta and LAWA also released new renderings of the facility today, which saw the interior and exterior of the shared ‘head house’ of Terminals 2 and 3; the interior, secured side of Terminal 3; and the connector between Terminal 3 and Terminal B, among other perspectives.
When completed, the modern facility will offer more security screening capacity with automated security lanes, more gate-area seating, and a world-class concession programme in partnership with Westfield Corporation, in addition to all the amenities that Delta’s customers have come to expect at LAX, including the Delta ONE at LAX check-in space, new Delta Sky Club; and the integrated in-line baggage system. Key features and benefits include:
- 27-gate complex on Terminals 2 and 3 with a secure connection to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B), enabling Delta and its partners to effectively utilize gates there as well
- Brand new headhouse with centralised lobby, security screening checkpoint, and baggage claim
- Completely reconstructed Terminal 3
- A convenient bridge connecting Terminals 2, 3, and B on the secure side of the airport, as well asa dedicated baggage recheck and security checkpoint for seamless connection of international to domestic transfers, enabling significantly faster connections
- Premium retail and dining line-up
- Convenient and contemporary restroom facilities
- More access to power in the gate areas
- Modern and intuitive signage
- State-of-the-art finishes
- Emergency power generators for better operational recovery
- Connection to the Automated People Mover, which is scheduled to be fully operational in 2023
- Airfield efficiency including dual taxi lanes
Delta has already made a series of enhancements since its relocation to Terminals 2 and 3 in May 2017. LAWA and Westfield introduced a new retail and dining line-up in Terminal 3 in December 2017. Delta opened an interim Delta ONE at LAX reception in November, an exclusive and personalised check-inexperience featuring a reception area and private corridor that takes customers directly to the front of the security checkpoint with easy access to TSA Pre-Check and standard lanes. CLEAR is available at Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX, and customers with a CLEAR membership can breeze through airport security with just the touch of a finger or blink of an eye. The airline has also installed new padded seats in the gate areas with seat power coming in summer 2018.
Finally, expanded space in Terminal 3 for Delta Sky Club guests will open this summer, nearly doubling the number of available seats. Delta now operates alongside many of its airline partners, including Aeromexico, Virgin Atlantic and West Jet, at LAX.
Later, the secure connector to Terminal B will enable seamless access to additional partners, including Air France-KLM, Alitalia, China Eastern, Korean Air, and Virgin Australia.Operational performance has already significantly improved at LAX. From June 2017-March 2018, the airline improved its on-time performance by 16 points versus the same period a year prior, driven in part by improved taxi times and more efficient tarmac operations from converting the alleyway between T2 and T3 from single- to dual-lane operations, which allows two planes to proceed through the alleyway at the same time.
Total taxi times have reduced by more than eight minutes.Delta has invested more than $7 billion in airport projects since 2006, and along with its airport partners, Delta will be involved in an additional $12 billion worth of facilities infrastructure projects incoming years, including improvements at several of its key hubs in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
