Tom Bradley International Terminal

For some anxious travelers, there's often a moment of hesitancy as they surrender their suitcase full of personal items on the conveyor belt and watch it pass through rubber flaps into oblivion. New York-based artists Patty Chang and Noah Klersfeld drew inspiration from that moment to create "Current," a video that follows a houseplant traveling through the bowels of the baggage system, a labyrinth of mazes from the check-in counter to the sorter. "We wanted to pull back the curtain and give travelers a glimpse of the inner workings of this massive global transportation network in a personal way," said Klersfeld.

Los Angeles International Airport officials early Tuesday said a message on multiple flight status displays warning passengers to evacuate because of an emergency was an accident. At 9:47 p.m. on Monday, passengers at the Tom Bradley International Terminal alerted police to the message on monitors behind ticketing counters, which read, "An emergency has been declared in the terminal. Please evacuate. " Operations personnel at LAX initially believed the display could be the work of a hacker and moved quickly to review their computer systems to investigate the breach, authorities told The Times.

Federal and city officials Tuesday unveiled the addition of two full-body scanners at Los Angeles International Airport as part of a plan to install the high-tech screeners at every terminal there over the next few months. Two units — each about the size of a refrigerator — have already been in use at the airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal. The new units unveiled Tuesday are in Terminal 6 serving United, Continental, JetBlue and other carriers. Officials from the city of Los Angeles and the Transportation Security Administration vowed to press for scanners at each of the nine terminals.

An emergency message displayed on monitors telling passengers at Los Angeles International Airport to evacuate was mistakenly triggered by a contract worker, airport officials said. At 9:47 p.m. on Monday, passengers at the Tom Bradley International Terminal alerted police to the message on monitors behind ticketing counters, which read, "An emergency has been declared in the terminal. Please evacuate. " A review of the airport's computer systems showed that an airline contractor with authorized access to the display system accidentally caused the override of screens that normally display the status of flights, according to LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

Reacting to the concerns of air traffic controllers, Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl said Tuesday that he wants a council committee to monitor the efforts to resolve any safety issues that might arise from the new design of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Rosendahl presented a motion at the City Council meeting, requesting that Los Angeles World Airports report to the Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee, which oversees...

Although the airline industry remains in a deep slump, airport commissioners on Monday approved $1.13 billion in construction contracts to revitalize the primary entry and departure point for overseas travelers at Los Angeles International Airport. In one of the most visible signs that the modernization of LAX is underway, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners awarded two contracts to the Walsh Austin Joint Venture, which will handle the reconfiguration of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Trying to reverse its low grades from the flying public, Los Angeles International Airport marked a milestone in its modernization program Tuesday by dedicating a $238-million renovation of one of its aging passenger terminals. The remodel of Terminal 6, the new home of Alaska Airlines, includes a variety of improvements to bag check, ticketing, security screening, waiting areas at gates and more. "The whole thing is designed with the customer in mind," said Bill Ayer, Alaska's chief executive, who attended the terminal's grand opening.

The overhaul of domestic passenger facilities at Los Angeles International Airport gained momentum Thursday with the start of a $229-million renovation of the Delta Air Lines terminal. Plans call for a complete remodel and expansion of Terminal 5, including a private VIP check-in lobby, a renovation of the lounge facilities in the Delta Sky Club and a doubling in size of both the ticketing areas and security checkpoints. New baggage carousels also will be added to the terminal, as well as improved facilities to recheck international luggage and an array of new restaurants and shops that reflect the culture and lifestyle of Los Angeles.

The arrival level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport was evacuated for about half an hour Thursday night after a screening device spotted something suspicious in a piece of luggage. The luggage turned out to be harmless. Airport officials said no flights were delayed.

Since each retiring Los Angeles mayor seems to want the public to remember his legacy (e.g. the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport) perhaps Browning-Ferris Industries should rename the Sunshine Canyon Landfill the Richard Riordan Dump. After all, the mayor endorsed reopening the city portion, and he should be remembered for that endorsement. ROBERT CHASE Granada Hills

Operations personnel at Los Angeles International Airport late Monday were reviewing their computer systems to determine how multiple flight status boards were hacked to show an emergency message, authorities told The Times. [Updated, 2:10 a.m. PDT April 23: LAX officials declared the display of an emergency evacuation message on flight status screens Monday night an accident. An airline contract worker with authorized access to the display system accidentally caused the override of screens that normally display flight statuses, according to LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

Authorities were searching the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday night for someone who hacked into multiple flight status boards to write: "Emergency Leave the Terminal," law enforcement authorities told The Times. [Updated, 2:04 a.m. PDT April 23: LAX officials declared the display of an emergency evacuation message on flight status screens Monday night an accident. An airline contract worker with authorized access to the display system accidentally caused the override of screens that normally display flight statuses, according to LAX spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

The overhaul of domestic passenger facilities at Los Angeles International Airport gained momentum Thursday with the start of a $229-million renovation of the Delta Air Lines terminal. Plans call for a complete remodel and expansion of Terminal 5, including a private VIP check-in lobby, a renovation of the lounge facilities in the Delta Sky Club and a doubling in size of both the ticketing areas and security checkpoints. New baggage carousels also will be added to the terminal, as well as improved facilities to recheck international luggage and an array of new restaurants and shops that reflect the culture and lifestyle of Los Angeles.

For some anxious travelers, there's often a moment of hesitancy as they surrender their suitcase full of personal items on the conveyor belt and watch it pass through rubber flaps into oblivion. New York-based artists Patty Chang and Noah Klersfeld drew inspiration from that moment to create "Current," a video that follows a houseplant traveling through the bowels of the baggage system, a labyrinth of mazes from the check-in counter to the sorter. "We wanted to pull back the curtain and give travelers a glimpse of the inner workings of this massive global transportation network in a personal way," said Klersfeld.

If you are heading in or out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) anytime soon, you might want to pack a little patience. Roadway closures linked to construction projects mean the beginning of traffic headaches that start today (Tuesday) and will continue for the next two years, according to an airport statement. It won't exactly be carmageddon, but travelers would be wise to allow more time getting to and from LAX. The airport will begin closing some lanes on departure and arrival roadways because of a $4.1 billion airport upgrade known by the acronym (trademarked, no less)

Los Angeles International Airport will feature a new lineup of 60 shops and restaurants in selected terminals this year, an upgrade that's part of the airport's LAneXt project, according to a statement released Monday. The accent for the new terminal offerings is on L.A. chefs and businesses. Newcomers to Terminal 5 include the Mattel Experience, a stand-alone store that will feature Barbies, Matchbook and Hot Wheels, and Ford's Filling Station restaurant. Trendy Kitson opened up shop last week in Terminal 7. The shops and restaurants will be phased in by the end of the year, an LAX spokeswoman said.

About 2,000 people were evacuated from a Los Angeles International Airport terminal for more than four hours late Wednesday after the discovery of a substance that was found to be dairy creamer. The evacuation forced nine flights departing from the Tom Bradley International Terminal to be delayed, and arriving planes were rerouted to another terminal.

Re "Rehab Set for LAX Terminal," Dec. 8: Los Angeles International Airport is expected to have more 555-seat Airbus A380 arrivals and departures than any other international airport when the world's largest passenger jet begins flying in 2006. The law of supply and demand suggests that if the airlines want and need to fly that plane here, they should foot the bill to upgrade the Tom Bradley International Terminal to handle the increased number of passengers coming off such a large jet. It should not be the taxpayers' burden.

Trying to reverse its low grades from the flying public, Los Angeles International Airport marked a milestone in its modernization program Tuesday by dedicating a $238-million renovation of one of its aging passenger terminals. The remodel of Terminal 6, the new home of Alaska Airlines, includes a variety of improvements to bag check, ticketing, security screening, waiting areas at gates and more. "The whole thing is designed with the customer in mind," said Bill Ayer, Alaska's chief executive, who attended the terminal's grand opening.

Los Angeles International Airport is lagging well behind other big-city U.S. airports in the contest to attract highly prized foreign travelers at the levels seen before the global recession caused a steep dip in international trips. Large airports in California and most other regions of the country have surpassed their pre-slump foreign traffic numbers from 2005, sometimes dramatically so, according to passenger data examined by The Times. But LAX, which is spending billions to regain its footing as the premier international gateway on the West Coast, still has 4% fewer international arrival and departures compared with its peak of nearly 17.5 million six years ago. Overall, LAX, the nation's third busiest airport, has the second-lowest recovery rate among the 10 U.S. airports that handle the most international passengers.