[Quixote]

Delta Air Lines to move to Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX by end of 2018

By City News Service
July 20, 2016

Delta Air Lines will move its check-in and boarding facilities closer to some of its partner airlines, as well as closer to the international terminals at Los Angeles International Airport, under an agreement approved by Airport Commissioners Wednesday.

Delta is proposing about $1.9 billion in upgrades at LAX, as part of plans to move from its current home in Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3 by the end of 2018.

Under the agreement, Delta will begin spending at least $350 million on renovations of boarding gates and baggage handling areas at Terminals 2 and 3, and on the relocation of airlines that are being displaced.

The move will bring Delta closer to some partner airlines, including Aeromexico, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia, and allow the airline to build a passageway to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Airport Commission President Sean Burton said the lease agreement with Delta achieves their “shared goal to significantly improve the guest experience at LAX.”

Los Angeles World Airport Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint said the upgrades, which include the redevelopment of Terminal 3, “will create a more balanced and efficient airport for both customers and airlines, as well as allow for the co-location of Delta with its partners.”

Ranjan Goswami, Delta vice president of sales in the western region, said Delta’s future home at Terminal 2 and 3 “will provide everything our customers currently benefit from at Terminal 5, along with enhancements that will enable best-in-class check-in, faster connection times for seamless connectivity and an industry-leading customer experience.”

Delta officials say the relocation and improvements, which are expected to take about seven years, are part of the airline’s continued expansion at LAX.

The individual projects still need to undergo environmental study and require additional government approvals. The lease agreement now goes to the City Council for consideration.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/...by-end-of-2018