Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Landside Access Modernization Program

Overview

BNP was chosen by Los Angeles World Airports to help envision the LAX Landside Access Modernization Program, including a new consolidated rental car facility and a new intermodal transfer facility. BNP was asked to develop and evaluate a series of design concepts that allow for the implementation of remote baggage check-in and remote baggage claim at each of these remote facilities.

Global Survey and Research

BNP started by surveying remote check-in and claim operations at airports worldwide to develop an operational baseline for concept development. Our survey included:

• Manual operations
• Hotel/casino check-ins
• Baggage delivery services
• Transit connections
• City center operations
• Airport off-terminal sites

These surveys explored the operations of each site, including airline participation, vendor selection, customer fees, and check-in cutoff times.

Demand Analysis

In addition, BNP thoroughly analyzed LAX flight schedules for 2018, 2023, and 2028 to develop baggage demands by airline and terminal, and then further down by domestic and international operations. These demand numbers were then factored by the projected proportion of passengers who would be arriving at the airport at either of the two remote facilities. This allowed the team to develop demands based on time of day for sizing the remote check-in facilities at both sites.

Design Concepts

BNP’s design concepts ranged from simple manual vehicle-based systems to fully automated above- and below-grade options for transporting baggage from these remote facilities to the Central Terminal Area (CTA). The simpler, short-term concepts included vehicle transport to each terminal, vehicle transport to a central remote baggage screening pod in the cargo facility, use of the APM for baggage transport, and suspending a BHS infrastructure from the APM guideway.

More intensive, longer-term concepts included below-grade options involving bored tunnels to the CTA, bored tunnels to a remote baggage screening facility, and the possible use of cut-and-cover tunnels. Other long-term solutions included above-grade options such as a suspended BHS guideway to the CTA, the use of cargo drones for delivery to the roof of each terminal, and a cable tramway from the remote facilities to the CTA.

Implementation Strategy

With close coordination with LAWA, both short-term (2023) and long-term (2028) concepts were identified. Each of the concepts was fully evaluated based on schedule, capital and operational cost, constructability, and throughput.

Project Start

2019

Client

Los Angeles World Airports

Scope of Service

Conceptual Design

Region

North America