Delta Air Lines is partnering with the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports for an overhaul at Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport. The $229 million construction project has started and will take place in several phases with full completion in 2015.
The makeover includes doubling the ticketing lobby and security checkpoints with a separate Sky Priority lobby and checkpoint; a private VIP check-in lobby; a renovation of the Delta Sky Club to add in a full-service bar and more recharge stations for personal electronic devices, more baggage carousels and upgraded international baggage recheck facilities. Delta said there will also be 15 new restaurants and retail outlets opening later this year.
“Los Angeles is a critical global gateway for Delta’s domestic and international customers and we are thrilled that this project — which will greatly improve the customer experience from curbside to planeside — is underway,” said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s managing director-West Coast sales.
“As LAX undergoes a $4.1-billion modernization, we have made it a priority to improve domestic travel as well as updating our international terminal,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “By overhauling Terminal 5 at LAX, Delta Air Lines helps us ensure that LAX becomes the premier gateway to Los Angeles and to the rest of the United States.”
Delta is funding the renovation of Terminal 5 with approximately $12 million of the airline’s invested capital for proprietary improvements (airline lounge, check-in lobbies, finishes, other architectural elements, etc.); approximately $25 million in reimbursements from the Transportation Security Administration for security-screening measures; and the remainder in LAWA commercial paper/long-term debt, LAWA cash on hand, and Passenger Facility Charges collections. The airline said no part of the price tag has been passed on to the city of Los Angeles itself.
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