If you’ve ever driven to Los Angeles International Airport, you’ve probably passed a series of large metal letters spelling out the airport’s IATA code: LAX. Not every airport code works at a grand scale — I’m partial to PDX, myself — but this one works better than most, and serves as a nice shorthand for the larger metropolitan area as well. That said, change is afoot at the state’s biggest airport — and that includes the future of its famous sign.
Writing at the Los Angeles Times, Karen Garcia reports that the sign is set to be removed — albeit temporarily — so that the airport’s system of roads can be expanded to alleviate traffic conditions there and make life easier on pedestrians making their way around the airport’s grounds.
As for why this is taking place now, Los Angeles World Airports’ chief development officer Michael Christensen told the Times that it relates to two massive international events on the horizon: next year’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. The renovations that the temporary sign removal are part of are scheduled to run through 2030, and the Times notes that a date has not yet been set for the sign to be re-installed.
From this reporting, it also sounds as though the sign will be in a new location when it is reintroduced to the airport’s grounds. Christensen told the Times that these efforts “will provide long-term benefits to employees, travelers and our surrounding communities, creating a world-class airport experience for years to come.” As for how that will translate into an improved experience, next year’s World Cup begins on June 11; we should know not long after that.
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