Non-Subscriber Extract
IATA questions LAX design
By Norman Sklarewitz
09 March 2009
In a letter to the mayor of Los Angeles, the vice president of IATA's North American region has urged that the design of a new Midfield Concourse at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) be "revised".
Douglas Lavin told Antonio Villaraigosa that IATA and its member airlines are "very concerned" with the cost of the project as "presently envisaged".
Lavin took exception to the design of the proposed Midfield Concourse project as revealed in mid-November 2008. The design resulted from a USD41.5 million contract given to Fentress Architects in association with HNTB Architecture Inc.
"Building an iconic gateway at this time is simply unnecessary and unaffordable to airlines and their passengers," Lavin warned the mayor. "It will threaten the competitive position of Los Angeles as an international destination for cargo, business and personal travel."