American Airlines to acquire 4 gates from United Airlines at LAX

American Airlines is on the verge of expanding at Los Angeles International Airport. The expansion plan at LAX is all set to be materialized now as American Airlines will soon be acquiring four gates from its rival United Airlines by the end of 2014.

American Airlines recently announced that it will be acquiring gates in Terminal 6 in Q3 2014. The gates are currently being shared by both United Airlines as well as Alaska Airlines. The offices and counter space will also be taken over by the airline. The terms of transaction has not been disclosed by the airline.

Media reports said that American Airlines had been constantly striving to strengthen its operations at Los Angeles International Airport. However, the lack of gates had so far obstructed the airline’s plans. The main bases of the airline at LAX had in fact outgrown thus necessitating the need for more gates for further expansion. The Terminal 4 was until now being used by American Airlines, while its subsidiary American Eagle was making use of a commuter terminal.

According to the reports, Terminal 4 as well as Terminal 6 is interconnected through an underground tunnel. It is not functional now because of being shut down for the past several years. Now that American Airlines will be acquiring gates at Terminal 6, the underground tunnel is likely to reopen soon.
  
Andrew Christie, Spokesman of American Airlines, remarked that the airline was finding it quite challenging to continue operations in a constrained LAX airport. He said that the additional space it is acquiring from United Airlines will help it considerably enhance its customer service and enthuse passengers with a great travel experience.

The expansion at Los Angeles International Airport will enable American Airlines to operate 180 flights per day to 55 destinations with the help of 28 gates at its command now.

Media reports said that the use of Terminal 7 and Terminal 8 will continue by United Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport. Presently, flights on most of trans-Pacific routes are being operated by United Airlines from San Francisco International Airport.

The reports further said that American Airlines continues to be among one of the three largest carriers in the United States which doesn’t own a major West Coast global gateway. Delta Air Lines is also trying to maintain its strategic growth at Los Angeles International Airport, while simultaneously building a hub at Seattle.