Struggling LAX hopes for lift

$30-billion revamp ahead of Olympics aims to boost user experience

- BY COLLEEN SHALBY

JOHN ACKERMAN, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, is reflected in windows at LAX. He's hopeful about improvement projects.

Photographs by GENARO MOLINA Los Angeles Times

Recently, a sewage blockage at Los Angeles International Airport shut down the restrooms and customs facility at Terminal 7. More than 12,000 international travelers arriving in Los Angeles, some for the first time, had to be shuttled elsewhere through LAX for processing, adding extra time at the airport, already notorious for traffic.

The issue lasted multiple weekends in August. Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive John Ackerman was consumed by the thought that during this period, thousands of people in Los Angeles would be talking about this incident as their introduction or reunion with Los Angeles a far cry from the premiere experience his team has been trying to build.

"We can't have world-class buildings on top of a third-class infrastructure," Ackerman said. "We are going to fix these problems."

AN AIRPLANE taxis near Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Ackerman, who's been in the aviation industry for more than 30 years, took on the CEO role at LAWA about 18 months ago to oversee LAX and Van Nuys Airport. In a conversation with The Times, he spoke about the ongoing challenges LAX has faced since the pandemic and his hopes for its future success ahead of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.

A drop in ridership

Passenger counts have dropped notably at LAX since the pandemic, and have not bounced back like other airports since global travel came to a halt.