LAX’s newest addition to the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the Midfield Satellite Concourse, has been eagerly awaited, with the first renderings of the wave-inspired building wowing prospective travellers. Now, ahead of its official launch this summer, the airport has asked members of the public to volunteer their time to test it out in a realistic simulation.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the airport requested members of the public to sign up for the test, likely due to take place in mid-summer, which will see them acting sick, behaving badly and unruly, and pretending to be confused and feeble, all to see if the staff and building can handle real-life events that are similar.
“Before this new 750,000-square-foot building can open to the traveling public, the airport must test the level of service and functionality of every aspect of this facility. From restrooms and wayfinding, to baggage systems and passenger boarding bridges, the airport will recruit up to 600 volunteers to act as passengers, evaluators, monitors and more. Because these trials are complex and require careful advance planning, we are gathering interest in participation now, ahead of the concourse's opening,” Charles H. Pannunzio, public relations specialist with Los Angeles World Airports told Lonely Planet.
The new concourse sees 12-15 gates being added to greatly reduce the terminal’s reliance on remote gates at the west end of the airfield. A new companion Baggage Optimization Project will also increase capacity for both the new Midfield Satellite Concourse gates and the existing gates at Tom Bradley.
The building has been designed with a lot of glass that takes advantage of natural light to create a relaxing bright feeling. According to Los Angeles World Airports, the new Midfield Satellite Concourse will be one of the most technologically advanced airport facilities in the US, and includes biometric screening with facial recognition technology and the ability for passengers to pre-order food, while it has been built with sustainable features like water-saving plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption by over 30% and materials made from 75% construction waste.
Charles also said that the response to the trial has been overwhelming, with the airport easily getting the 600 volunteers needed to try it out.
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