LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Westfield today reached an important milestone in the Los Angeles International Airport modernization by unveiling the more than 60 premier dining and luxury retail shops – including 22 local L.A. brands – coming to the New Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).  Serving as the first and last impression of Los Angeles to millions of international passengers annually, the New TBIT will revolutionize the passenger experience in North America.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121205/CL24398 )

"We're investing in LAX because it isn't just a travel hub, it's the gateway to the Pacific Rim and a central driver of our regional economy," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "Westfield's development in the New Tom Bradley International Terminal will showcase L.A.'s distinct style and spirit, keep LAX competitive in the global market, increase international tourism, and put Angelenos to work now and for years to come."

Westfield and its tenant partners are investing $80 million to develop the new dining and retail program at TBIT.  The first phase of New TBIT, which includes a Great Hall and boarding gates on the west side of the terminal, is scheduled for arrival Spring 2013.  The second phase – which includes new gates on the east side of the terminal, new federal security screening area, and upgraded customs arrivals area – is expected to be completed by 2014. The New TBIT is the largest public works project in the City's history and one part of "LAneXt™," the $4.1-billion LAX modernization program comprised of nearly 25 individual projects. The modernization of LAX is creating 40,000 jobs and is funded without the use of taxpayer dollars. TBIT alone will support nearly 4,000 construction-related jobs and help support 1,700 permanent concession jobs.

"Today's announcement continues the transformation of LAX to provide passengers with an experience they expect from a world-class city like Los Angeles," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the City department that owns and operates LAX and two other Southern California airports.  "A major focus of our customer service improvements is to create a cohesive, memorable and high-quality dining and shopping experience with a variety of new and innovative options that offer a 'sense of place' reflecting the culture, cuisine and trends of Los Angeles."    

The Westfield program will introduce 42 concepts to LAX for the first time, including 28 new concepts never before seen in an airport environment, and will generate projected annual sales of $98 million.

"As Los Angeles is home to our U.S. headquarters, Westfield takes great pride in being selected to help realize the Mayor's vision," said Peter S. Lowy, co-chief executive of the Westfield Group.  "We are deploying global resources and development expertise to deliver an iconic, world-class airport experience at LAX, and welcome the opportunity to be part of such a talented and determined team."  

The New TBIT dining lineup includes sophisticated options that bring global flavors together for a traveler-friendly mix of healthy & fresh sit-down, casual and grab-and-go.  Passengers will:

• Experience Top Chef Winner Michael Voltaggio's modern techniques and feel the flavor burst from his sandwiches at ink.sack;
• Feast on upscale, modern Mexican food in a vibrant cantina setting from the "Top Chef Masters" duo of Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken at Border Grill;
• Delight in Umami Burger, the L.A. outlet awarded GQ's "Burger of the Year" title;
• Savor freshly roasted, direct trade coffees from LAMill Coffee boutique;
• Grab gourmet sandwiches, charcuterie, artisanal cheese and more from James Beard Award Winner Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne at Larder at Tavern;
• Craft their own wood-fired Neapolitan pie at famed 800 Degrees Pizzeria;
• Experience a modern steakhouse sizzling with style at III Forks;
• Enjoy sushi with fish air-shipped from Tokyo at Chaya or Lucky Fish by Sushi Roku;
• Indulge in luxury delicacies and fine wines at Petrossian Caviar & Champagne Bar;
• Discover expertly-selected wines and elegant small plates at Vino Volo;
• Indulge in baked goods from Short Cake or Vanilla Bake Shop;
• Delight in modern American comfort food from award-winning James Beach; and
• Grab a cup of their favorite coffee during the day and a relaxing glass of wine or beer in the evening at one of the first Starbucks Evenings in the nation.

The dining options continue with Cantina Laredo, Marmalade Cafe, Pinkberry, Starbucks Coffee, Drink.LA, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Scoreboard LA, and Panda Express.

Featuring open, glittering glass storefronts, the New TBIT retail program will bring L.A. style to international travelers. Passengers will set their sights on:

• Magnificent Italian jewelry and luxury goods from Bvlgari;
• Jet-set styles from American designer Michael Kors;
• Luxury goods from Italian fashion house Emporio Armani;
• Upscale designs from Hollywood's renowned Fred Segal boutique;
• The latest fashion craze at Kitson;
• Designer handbags and accessories at Coach;
• Sleek men's accessories at Porsche Design;
• The world's leading brand of luxury travel, business and lifestyle accessories at Tumi;
• World-famous collection of intimates at Victoria's Secret;
• International designs from German luxury fashion and style house Hugo Boss;
• Functional and fashionable 'digital lifestyle' accessories from iStore Boutique; and
• Spa-tacular services such as manicures, pedicures and facials from Bliss.

Boasting 25,000 square feet and three free-standing fashion luxury boutiques, a major highlight of the New TBIT is the glamorous duty-free shopping line-up by DFS.  DFS is investing $32 million in TBIT and is projecting first full year sales for the airport-wide duty free concession of over $300 million. 

The duty-free line-up includes:

• Full-line fashion boutiques by Hermes, Gucci and Burberry and curated fashion assortments by Salvatore Ferragamo, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta and Chloe;
• Fine watches from Omega, MontBlanc, IWC, Rado and Longines, among others;
• Over 20 Beauty brands – including Estee Lauder, MAC, Bobby Brown, premier skincare by La Mer and the original L.A. cosmetic brand Smashbox;
• Spirits - from Johnnie Walker Scotch and Grey Goose Vodka to rare and exclusive "prestige spirits" – and an in-store LA-themed "tasting bar"; and
• Fine wines including exclusive assortments from L.A.'s own San Antonio, Malibu Family, Rosenthal Estate and Moraga Estate wineries.

DFS will also introduce Platinum Services Club in LAX - a highly personalized shopping and concierge service for global travelers visiting Los Angeles.

Other retail brands in the Westfield lineup include: See's Candies, XpresSpa, Hudson, The Bead Factory, Bienvenida Flowers & Gifts, Angeleno News, RELAY, Malibu Shades, Virgin Mobile/Boost Mobile, Travel & Leisure, CNN Newsstand Los Angeles, USA Today Travel Zone, The Economist, Sanrio Surprises, Hollywood Reporter and 7-Eleven.

A modern engineering marvel, the New TBIT will feature 18 roomier boarding gates with nine built for new-generation aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 super jumbo jet, Boeing 747-8 intercontinental jumbo jet, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  The project is optimizing the use of recycled building materials and the architecture and construction of the facilities are designed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  The passenger experience will also benefit from upgraded customs/immigration and federal security screening areas for more efficient processing, as well as secured corridors so connecting passengers can travel between the New TBIT and Terminals 3 and 4. New state-of-the-art, baggage-handling systems will improve passenger wait times and speed travelers through the ticketing process. 

Built in 1984, Tom Bradley International Terminal is LAX's primary facility serving international travelers.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third busiest in the United States, offering more than 600 daily flights to 91 domestic cities and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 58 cities in 32 countries on nearly 75 air carriers.  In 2011, LAX served more than 61.8 million passengers, processed more than 1.8 million tons of air cargo valued at nearly $84.6 billion, and handled 603,912 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs).

About Westfield Group
As part of its global portfolio, the Westfield Group (ASX Code: WDC) designs, develops, owns, manages and leases award-winning shopping venues in landmark cities around the world.  Among the company's iconic retail destinations are:  Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City in the U.K.; Westfield Bondi Junction, Sydney, Australia; Westfield San Francisco Centre; Westfield Century City in Los Angeles and Westfield Sydney.  Upcoming Westfield world-class retail icons include Westfield World Trade Center (opening in 2015) and Westfield Milan in Italy. Westfield Concession Management operates in 10 major U.S. airports, including some of the highest revenue generating facilities in the U.S., and has earned a combined 89 awards from Airport Revenue News and Airports Council International North America, including 65 first place awards. Westfield is currently redeveloping concessions at Los Angeles International Airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal, Theme Building, and Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 6.

PROJECT IMAGES & VIDEO AVAILABLE AT:
www.westfieldatlax.com

SOURCE Westfield