A plan to modernize Los Angeles International Airport with a new terminal, more gates and a host of other upgrades would negatively impact residents living in the area, a Southern California congresswoman says.
In a Sept. 14 letter to Los Angeles World Airports’ Board of Airport Commissioners, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, said the Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project would create more noise from increased landings and departures while also boosting harmful emissions and traffic congestion.
“While I support efforts to enhance airfield and terminal safety and improve the passenger experience at LAX, I continue to oppose any attempt to expand the capacity of the airport,” Waters wrote.
In a meeting following receipt of Waters’ letter, the board announced it would postpone voting on the project until its next meeting on Oct. 7.
Airport officials say the improvements would create business opportunities and reduce congestion in area neighborhoods, as airport traffic would be redirected from local streets to new, dedicated roadways adjacent to LAX.
However, a draft environmental impact report for the project acknowledges construction and operation of the upgrades may have “a significant impact on the environment” in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, despite mitigation measures.
LAX operates a noise and aircraft monitoring system in neighboring communities and also maintains a 24-hour Aircraft Noise Complaint Response Office to identify noise-related problems as they emerge.
Flying Simple, an online hub for aviation news, said the modernization upgrades would position the airport to handle an increased crush of air traffic when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics.
The project
The improvements would all be done within the airport’s existing footprint.
Inefficient and outdated remote gates would be replaced with state-of-the-art facilities, and needed taxiway improvements would be completed without moving any runways, officials said.
Twelve to 18 new gates would be added to Terminal 9 and six to nine new gates would be added at Concourse 0. Fifteen of the airport’s 18 West Remote Gates would be replaced.
An automated people-mover train station would also be installed at Terminal 9, and a pedestrian corridor would be built over Sepulveda Boulevard between Terminals 8 and 9. Additional restaurants and shops would also be added.
Waters, whose 43rd Congressional District includes LAX, said the plan would still result in a net gain of up to 12 new gates, boosting noise, emissions and traffic. She acknowledged the airport is an important economic engine and job creator for the region but said the improvements shouldn’t lower the quality of life for people living nearby.
“I respectfully request that the Board of Airport Commissioners amend the ATMP to ensure that there is no net increase in the total number of gates at LAX and conduct a thorough analysis of the environmental impacts of the project,” she said in her letter.
A ‘world-class’ airport
In a statement released Wednesday, airport spokesman Heath Montgomery said LAWA is creating “the world-class airport our city deserves” while also being a good neighbor to surrounding communities by providing jobs and opportunities to businesses and residents.
An estimated 4,700 new long-term employees would be needed to man operations at the revamped Concourse 0 and Terminal 9, he said, adding that thousands of construction jobs would be created over the course of the project.
A 2016 study from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found that the 620,610 jobs related to LAX generated more than $37 billion in annual labor income, $126.6 billion in business revenues, $6.2 billion in state and local taxes and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues.
July figures from LAWA show the airport handled more than 23.5 million passengers from January through June of 2021, a 22.4% increase over the same period a year ago when air travel was severely impacted by the early onslaught of COVID-19.
