New terminal 'connector' at LAX is making international travel easier

A presidential candidate who shall remain nameless is calling America’s airports something out of a third world country, but in Los Angeles, our airport has a new, $148.5 million modernization project. And, according to the Los Angeles Daily News, it's saving passengers with connecting flights about 45 minutes in travel time.

That project is a "connector" that allows travelers arriving at the international terminal to connect to flights out of the airport's domestic terminals without having to exit the airport. It officially opened Thursday during a "ribbon-connecting ceremony" that saw a massive airplane seatbelt standing in for the traditional ribbon and giant scissors. Mayor Eric Garcetti simply inserted the metal piece into the buckle, and a new era of international travel at LAX was born.

LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal is now linked internally with terminal numbers four through eight by a 104,000-square-foot, five-level connector building. Rather than taking a shuttle, passengers can now pass through a naturally lit atrium on moving walkways, which eliminates the hassle of going through TSA security again at another terminal.

There is an internal security checkpoint inside the new connector, but LAX officials say the lines are so short they’ve only needed to use two out of the four security lanes available.

Another connector is in the works that would connect the Tom Bradley International Terminal with terminal numbers one through three. The connector projects, as well as the upcoming link of LAX to the Metro rail system are all part of a $5 billion airport modernization expected to be completed by 2024.

• New $148.5 million LAX facility eases strain for passengers with connecting flights [LA Daily News]
• Here are new renderings of the LAX designed to be a lot less congested [Curbed LA]
• Take a Good Look Around LAX's People Mover System Plans [Curbed LA]
• Here's the Mindblowing Plan to Un-Fuck LAX Transportation [Curbed LA]

Watch: The historic TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport