Delta Air Lines debuts new gates at brand-new Los Angeles International Airport terminal

by James Wilkinson

Delta Air Lines and Los Angeles World Airports have completed another major phase of the Delta Sky Way at LAX, debuting the brand-new T3 facility, featuring nine new gates and spacious seating areas.

Terminal 3 and the satellite concourse, which was built in 1961, was torn down in 2020 to make way for an entirely new facility.

Delta Air Lines’ Vice President of Global Sales, Scott Santoro, said the demolition of the terminal during the global pandemic allowed the project to accelerate by 18 months, with varying phases completing ahead of the original 2024 schedule.

“We continue to elevate the customer journey in Los Angeles, building loyalty through state-of-the-art infrastructure, robust network offerings, innovative technology and of course, our award-winning customer service,” he said.

“LAX is one of Delta’s most important coastal hubs, and we’re committed to being the largest global carrier, providing customers with the premium curb-to-claim experience they deserve.”

The concourse will feature nine gates in total, with eight coming online this week. The ninth gate will be part of the next phase of construction with scheduled completion in early 2023.

It also features exciting new dining and retail options, several of which are already available for passengers to enjoy such as Homeboy and Gameway, and many others opening in the coming months.

The first phase of the $2.3-billion joint investment with Delta Air Lines opened in April with the unveiling of the state-of-the-art headhouse, which consolidated ticketing, security screening and baggage claim into one building.

In May, the second phase of the project completed with the opening of three gates in Terminal 3. Next year, a new Delta One check-in counter and the ninth gate in Terminal 3 will complete and open.

The final piece of the project – the connector bridge from Terminal 3 to Tom Bradley International Terminal post-security screening – is expected to complete and open by fall of 2023.

“Elevating the guest experience is pivotal in our ongoing work to build a better LAX, and we are thrilled to see the next major phase of this project completed in partnership with Delta Air Lines,” said Los Angeles World Airports’ Chief Executive Officer, Justin Erbacci.

“The new Terminal 3 concourse includes best-in-class passenger amenities and technology, and showcases our vision for a fully modernized airport.”

Santoro said Delta continues to not only invest in infrastructure but also expand on its leading network position at LAX.

Last week, the airline announced that two new trans-Atlantic routes would begin flying next summer to London (LHR) and Paris (CDG), both of which have not flown since pre-pandemic or prior.

Additionally, the airline recently announced never-operated-before service to Tahiti (PPT) and added daily nonstop service to Miami (MIA), both beginning Dec. 17. Three-times-weekly service to Toyko-Haneda (HND) also restarts on Oct. 30.

LAX serves as one of Delta’s most important coastal hubs, where the airline today operates 135 daily flights to nearly 50 destinations across the globe, serving 18 of the top 20 markets for LA customers.

Santoro said Delta has invested US$12 billion coast-to-coast in the last ten years, doubling down on its vision for the future of travel to build airports of the future that are comfortable, easy to navigate and part of an effortlessly connected journey, capable of absorbing and supporting new innovative experiences as technology evolves.

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