"LAX on the MOVE" has come to an end as five airlines completed their moves to new gates at Los Angeles International Airport today. LAX officials billed the shuffling of airlines as the largest of its in in U.S. aviation history.
The shuffling of airlines began on Friday night with crews working furiously through the weekend to move service equipment, check-in counters, and other network infrastructure.
The final moves, which took place today, were:
-- Delta Air Lines, which completed its relocation to Terminals 2 and 3;
-- Air Canada, which moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 6;
-- JetBlue, which moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5;
-- Hawaiian Airlines, which moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 5; and
-- Southwest, which moved its international flights to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. This morning, passengers were checking in at Terminal 1 and bused to the international terminal, where their aircraft were staged.
``We're incredibly proud of everyone involved in making the largest phase of `LAX on the MOVE' a success,'' said Trevor Daley, Los Angeles World Airports deputy executive director of external affairs.
``Relocating over 20 airlines across terminals over a five-day period is a huge undertaking, but our airport community -- our volunteers, operations staff, airline partners, ground service handlers, and partner agencies -- came together and did a remarkable job.''
One final airline relocation will happen on June 4th for XL France. That airline will be moving from Terminal 2 to Terminal 6.
While the relocations are complete, LAX officials say more than 200 volunteers will remain on hand for travelers who may be confused about the terminal changes and assist guests through Memorial Day weekend.
LAX officials are also urging people to arrive earlier than normal for their flights. Authorities recommend passengers flying out of LAX on domestic flights should arrive 3 hours ahead of their departure, while international travelers should arrive up to four hours in advance.
The moves are the precusor to Delta's $1.9 billion remodel of Terminals 2, 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal that's scheduled for constructions for the next seven years.