Hollywood Burbank Airport opens $1.3 billion all-electric terminal with 14 gates

Opening day

The first departure was Alaska Flight 3401 to Santa Rosa, California, at 7:03 a.m. with 33 passengers aboard, the Los Angeles Times reported. The first arrival was Southwest Flight 189 from Las Vegas at 7:16 a.m. with 30 passengers.

The day's schedule called for about 90 departures and arrivals by eight airlines, roughly the same schedule as in the previous buildings, the Los Angeles Times reported. Airport staff were posted at the idle old terminals to redirect travelers. Anthony Bailey, 29, said he learned of the switch from an Uber driver. A few "wet paint" signs remained on opening morning.

The main entrance moved from Thornton Avenue to Winona Avenue and Hollywood Way. Lot E closed permanently, and rideshare pickups shifted to a new lot near the terminal, the Pasadena Star-News reported. A seven-level parking structure sits directly across from the terminal entrance, Travelers Today reported. The Pasadena Star-News reported rental car customers still take a shuttle to the consolidated facility across Hollywood Way, and valet service moved with the terminal.

Southwest pilot Mike Petros, who arrived from Sacramento at 7:31 a.m., described the change to the Los Angeles Times: "The taxi off was a little different. Instead of turning right, you turn left."

The airport staged a final passenger simulation on 19 September with 1,500 volunteers. Spokesperson Mike Christensen said feedback was 98% positive, with signage the one area flagged for improvement, the Los Angeles Times reported.

What the $1.3 billion bought

The new terminal measures about 355,000 square feet and replaces a 232,000-square-foot complex whose original buildings opened in 1930, the Pasadena Star-News reported. Reports differ on the size increase: the Los Angeles Times put the new building at about 50% larger than the two old terminals combined, Travelers Today said 53% and Time Out described it as roughly double the space.

The airport is the second busiest in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles Times reported. LAX can serve up to 78.5 million passengers in one year, according to Los Angeles World Airports figures cited by the Pasadena Star-News.

Airport officials said the walk from the entrance to the farthest gate is 1,285 feet, down from 1,600 feet. The terminal has eight TSA lines, versus five in the old setup, the Los Angeles Times reported. Baggage claim carousels moved from outdoors to indoors. The new parking structure has about 2,000 spots and 310 charging ports for electric vehicles; total airport parking remains 6,637 spaces, the same as before.

The Pasadena Star-News reported the terminal operates entirely on electricity. Travelers Today, citing NBC Los Angeles, said it is one of only two all-electric airport terminal facilities in the United States. Rooftop solar panels supplement the electric systems, and the terminal targets LEED Silver certification at minimum.

Burbank voters approved Measure B in November 2016 with 70 percent support, capping the replacement at 14 gates and 355,000 square feet, Travelers Today reported. Any expansion needs a supermajority of the nine commissioners of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. Airport officials have emphasized that the project is a terminal replacement rather than a capacity expansion, with the number of gates unchanged despite the larger building, the Pasadena Star-News reported. Airlines serving Burbank, including Southwest, Alaska, United, American, Delta and Frontier, operate the same number of departures as before, Travelers Today reported.

Federal aviation officials flagged the old terminal's proximity to the runway decades ago, Time Out reported. The Pasadena Star-News reported the new terminal meets current seismic and accessibility standards and is located farther from runways. Construction began in January 2024, and the airport markets the building as Elevate BUR, Time Out reported.

Boarding and concessions

Passengers still often board planes from the front and back, using outdoor steps from the tarmac rather than enclosed tunnels, the Los Angeles Times reported. Executive director John Hatanaka said the design followed community input. "One of the most stated desires was to maintain the convenience of the legacy terminal and the ground-loading of the aircraft," he said, the Pasadena Star-News reported. The new layout adds a guardrail separating passengers from arriving and departing aircraft along the walkway.

Most of the six retail stores were open on 13 October, but none of the 13 food concessions was fully operating, the Los Angeles Times reported. Two eateries offered grab-and-go options. Airport spokesperson Mike Christensen said more options would arrive later in the day and week. The planned lineup includes Poquito Mas, Starbucks and Border Grill.

Traveler William Langlois of Tampa told the Los Angeles Times: "It's horrible, there's no restaurants and not enough security stations."

What happens next

All flights now use the new building, the Pasadena Star-News reported. The old terminals sit idle, the Los Angeles Times reported. Time Out advised passengers to check their route before leaving home and allow extra time to find the new entrance.