For Immediate Release
Apr. 4, 2023
Contact:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
Exterior of LAX's Terminal 4.5 Core. Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports.
(Los Angeles) The recently completed Terminal 4.5 Core at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has received LEED Gold certification – the second highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) distinction – following a thorough verification and review process by the U.S. Green Building Council’s evaluation affiliate, Green Business Certification Inc.
When it opened in November 2022, Terminal 4.5 Core represented the first major component of the $1.62 billion Terminal 4 and 5 Modernization project. Terminal 4.5 Core provides a centralized location between Terminals 4 and 5 where passengers can access all four levels of the terminal building pre-security, utilizing thoughtfully placed escalators, elevators and stairs. The project also enables direct connectivity to Terminal 5’s baggage claim and check-in lobby. In the future, Terminal 4.5 Core will facilitate efficient travel even further when it begins serving as an access point to the forthcoming People Mover train’s West Central Terminal Area (CTA) station via an elevated pedestrian pathway over World Way.
“A core principle of our Sustainability Action Plan is that all major building and renovation projects at LAX are required to achieve LEED Silver Certification or better, and Terminal 4.5 Core achieving LEED Gold – a class above silver – moves us one step closer to realizing our longer-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2045,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). “Terminal 4.5 Core demonstrates that we can deliver on our sustainability objectives while still delivering inspiring architecture, innovative digital solutions and a continued focus on an exceptional travel experience.”
LEED is a holistic system that does not simply focus on one building element, such as energy, water or health. Instead, it looks at the big picture, factoring in all critical elements that work together to create the best building possible. The Terminal 4.5 Core project was managed by American Airlines and designed by architecture firm Gensler. It achieved LEED Gold for optimizing energy usage, reducing indoor water use and providing access to quality transportation.
The project broke ground in July 2019 and was completed ahead of schedule with more than 3,100 workers on the project putting in about 1.16 million work hours under the general contractor and construction firm, Hensel Phelps. The next phase of the Terminal 4 and 5 Modernization project is anticipated to complete in 2024 with the opening of the new Terminal 4 Headhouse, which will feature new ticketing counters and baggage claim carousels for American Airlines and a consolidated security screening checkpoint.
Photomontage rendering of Terminal 4.5 Core with pedestrian bridge to the People Mover train’s West CTA station. Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports.
LAX, the fifth-busiest airport in the world in 2021 with 48 million passengers, is in the midst of a $15-billion capital improvement program that will touch on all nine passenger terminals and build new facilities, including an Automated People Mover (APM) train, Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility and the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.
In 2019, LAX served nearly 88.1 million passengers and offered an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 113 destinations in the U.S. and 1,200 weekly nonstop flights to 91 markets in 46 countries on 72 commercial airlines.
LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion; $966 million in state and local taxes; and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.
LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City's general fund.
LAWA is leading the aviation industry in sustainability practices, with initiatives related to water management, energy (electricity) management, air quality, recycling and natural resources management. In 2019, LAX received Level III ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation from Airports Council International-Europe.
LAWA is also a leader in inclusivity, operating eight programs that provide opportunities for business enterprises including local, small, minority-owned, veteran-owned and disadvantaged firms, and working together with community partners to offer the HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program, which targets local workers to make them ready for rewarding careers in the construction trades, and the Build LAX Academy, designed to prepare small contracting businesses for success when working on projects at LAX.
LAX was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX in 2018, and was honored as the "Most Innovative Airport for Passenger Experience" in 2019 by the American Association of Airport Executives. LAX is the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. Other recent honors have included selection as the No. 9 Best Airport (Wall Street Journal); No. 7 Best On-Time Performance for a Mega-Hub Airport (OAG); one of "The World's Best Airports for Business Travelers" (GlobeHunters); Public-Private Partnership of the Year (P3 Bulletin); Urth Caffe, Best Airport Coffee Concession of the Year (Global FAB Awards); Innovation of the Year, Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ARTBA); Best Project, United Airlines Terminal 7 and 8 Redevelopment Program (Engineering News Record California); North American Public-Private Partnership Deal of the Year (IJ Global); and Innovative Transportation Solution of the Year, Automated People Mover (WTS LA).
For more information about LAX, please visit www.flyLAX.com or follow on Twitter @flyLAXAirport, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport, and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.
