Tom Bradley International Terminal

An organization that represents more than 200 international airlines warned Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this week that its members are concerned about the cost and design of improvements planned for the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the centerpiece of the effort to modernize LAX. In a letter dated Monday, the International Air Transport Assn.

Amid one of the worst economic downturns in the history of the airline industry, Los Angeles International Airport is shedding passengers faster than its peers across the country, threatening the revenue stream needed to modernize its aging facilities. In September, international and domestic travel through LAX declined 7.3% compared with the same time last year. Cargo plummeted about 17%. This is the biggest monthly drop in traffic this year, and even more declines are expected.

Travelers arriving in the United States can now use automated kiosks at Los Angeles International Airport to go through immigration and customs without standing in line. Officials on Thursday unveiled the kiosks at four LAX terminals where federal officers process passengers from arriving international flights. Three are in the Tom Bradley International Terminal while Terminals 2, 4, 5, and 7 have one each. Cristina Gamez, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the devices scan passports, immigration documents, photos and fingerprints of passengers who have qualified for the agency's new Global Entry Program.

Airport officials and federal authorities said Thursday that they have tightened security at Los Angeles International Airport because of the recent arrest of an elevator mechanic suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States. Officials for LAX and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the measures included security adjustments at the federal inspection area inside the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Authorities declined to describe the changes to protect airport security.

In a move supported by organized labor, airport commissioners on Monday extended measures to protect wages and working conditions to $1.8 billion in improvement projects planned for Los Angeles International Airport. The Board of Airport Commissioners decided that the project labor agreement adopted by Los Angeles World Airports in November 1999 would apply to a new cross-field taxiway and renovations to the Tom Bradley International Terminal, including new gates on the west side to accommodate large airliners such as the Airbus A380.

The city's board of airport commissioners on Monday authorized the sale of $950 million in bonds to help finance Los Angeles International Airport modernization projects, including renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Airport officials say it is the largest bond issue undertaken at LAX. They said the last major bond issue was for $200 million. Even after the bonds are sold, airport officials said LAX would have far less debt than other major airports across the country, including Miami and San Francisco international airports.

In an effort to remain competitive with airports in other cities and accommodate new jumbo jets, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved 10 gates to be built to handle international traffic at Los Angeles International Airport. The project is the latest in a string of modifications underway at the airport, including a $723.5-million renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the recent relocation of the southernmost runway for safety reasons.

The city's Airport Commission unanimously approved the largest single contract in Los Angeles history Monday, voting to award a $503-million deal to Clark Construction Group and McCarthy Building Cos. to overhaul the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. The companies, which bid on the project as a joint venture, will start refurbishing the 23-year-old terminal early next year.