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This May, LAX’s PUP (Pets Unstressing Passengers) program celebrated its 5th anniversary. Comprised of 72 therapy dogs and their volunteers, the program deploys up to eight teams each week to roam the departure gate areas of each terminal, visiting passengers awaiting flights and providing airport information as well as comfort.

Automated Screening Lanes – Tom Bradley International Terminal now has 14 new high-tech, time-saving Automated Screening Lanes at the security screening check point. The new lanes can increase the number of passengers screened by as much as 30 percent and allow as many as five guests to place their items in trays simultaneously and submit them for screening without waiting on the first person to complete the process, making the screening process faster, more efficient and less stressful for travellers.

Biometric e-Gates – LAX is the first location in the U.S. to pilot this unique, paperless, biometric boarding process. The program uses facial recognition technology in place of a paper boarding pass, where it captures each passenger’s photo and sends it to Custom Border Patrol for matching with the digital photo captured at the initial immigration process. The e-Gates have been installed at Gates 152, 154 and 156 in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and additional airlines are making plans to test the technology. British Airways travellers to London will begin to use biometric boarding gates to gain access to their nightly flights at LAX.

LAX Presents – Los Angeles World Airports and local performing arts organisation Grand Performances announced the 2018 line-up at LAX, with nine talented Los Angeles-based artists performing two dates per month from March through October. The goal of LAX Presents is to bring together entertainers with extensive local and global experience, allowing them to share their craft and cultures with travellers and Angelenos alike. Upcoming performances are:
• July 10 & 11: Bob Baker Marionette Theater at Terminal 4
• August 7 & 8: Jacaranda at Terminal 5
• September 4 & 5: Oscar Hernandez Quintet at Tom Bradley International Terminal
• October 2 & 3: Colburn Conservatory at Terminal 2

Midfield Satellite Concourse – Designed as an extension of Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT), the new USD $1.6-billion, 750,000-square-foot Midfield Satellite Concourse will feature 12 boarding gates, L.A.-centric dining and shopping options, airline lounges and other guest services and amenities. The design will complement the architecture of TBIT and feature a roof emulating an ocean wave prior to breaking on the shore. It is also poised to become one of the smartest concourses with automated biometric boarding gates and flight information display scanners allowing passengers to receive personalised maps on their boarding passes. The MSC will be connected by a 1,000-foot-long underground tunnel and is slated to open by 2020.

New Concepts at Terminal 1 – The USD $508 million renovation at LAX’s terminal 1 is expected to be completed by end of the 2018 and will feature a hip, modern Californian feel. Travellers can expect 10 new dining and retail destinations and three L.A.-based concepts to open in the next few months, including iconic L.A. brands like Cassell’s Hamburgers, Trejo’s Tacos and Urth Caffe.