Los Angeles International Airport to Change Terminal Names and Gate Numbers
The airport is consolidating and renumbering its terminals and gates to improve navigation, but confusion is expected during the transition
Photo: Courtesy of LAX
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is planning to change the names of some of its terminals and renumber some departure gates to improve the airport’s navigational system. However, these changes may initially cause confusion for passengers.
As per a document posted on X by the user numble, several terminals, gates, people mover stations, and other facilities at LAX will soon have their names changed as part of a ‘wayfinding enhancement program.’
It remains to be seen whether these proposed changes will make it easier for passengers to navigate around California’s largest airport, which can already be quite challenging to navigate at times.
LAX is one of the busiest airports in the United States and has nine passenger terminals. A tenth terminal, originally named Terminal 9, is scheduled to be built in time for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles.
Photo: Terminal 1. Courtesy of Los Angeles International Airport
According to the proposed changes outlined in the document posted on X, Terminal 1 will merge with Southwest Airlines’ future terminal extension, Concourse 0, to form a single Terminal 1.
Additionally, Terminal 3 (which is home to Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico) will join with Terminal 2 (which is home to Virgin Atlantic and WestJet) to create a consolidated Terminal 2.
LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal, also known as Terminal B, will be renamed Terminal 3. Terminal B is home to several international airlines, including Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways.
Photo: Terminal TBIT. Courtesy of Los Angeles International Airport / Joshua Sudock
Terminal 7 and Terminal 8 – home to United Airlines and its regional subsidiary United Express – will merge to form a consolidated Terminal 7. Finally, the future Terminal 9 will now be the new Terminal 8.
While all this may sound confusing, LAX will have eight terminals numbered 1-8 under the consolidation plans and no illogical outliers like the current Terminal B. So, after the initial confusion it will almost certainly cause passengers, it makes more sense in the long term.
According to the document, gate numbers will also be changed to a new alphanumeric numbering system. For example, Terminal 1’s Concourse A will have gate numbers labeled A1, A2, etc., while Concourse B will have gate numbers labeled B1, B2, and so on. Simple enough.
Photo: Terminal TBIT. Courtesy of Los Angeles International Airport
However, what’s bound to cause even more confusion in this jumble of letters and numbers is the lettered stops of the upcoming people mover system, which is now expected to be completed in the spring of 2025.
As it stands, the stations of the people mover system will not correspond with gate numbers. As per the diagram presented in the document, station A will be located in front of Terminal 3 (Terminal B), station B will provide access to the C gates, and station C will be located next to the K and L gates.
We will wait and see whether these changes will make it easier to navigate LAX, as intended, or add to the chaos.
