Busy LAX terminal closes Tuesday amid government shutdown: What to know

A phased closure of Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport began Tuesday morning as the federal government shutdown continues to affect air travel across the nation.

The closure is part of LAX’s $30 billion Capital Improvement Program, which also includes terminal upgrades and enhancements for travelers on foot. As part of the plan, Terminal 5 is set to be demolished and fully rebuilt.

Carriers that operated in Terminal 5 at LAX include JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and American Airlines. Both JetBlue and Spirit already began moving their operations from Terminal 5 last week – JetBlue to Terminal 1 and Spirit to Terminal 2. American officially moved to Terminal 4 on Tuesday, the day the closure went into effect. 

Officials with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) say the goal is to reduce disruption during the transition and maintain smooth travel for passengers ahead of multiple high-profile events set to bring many people to the City of Angels, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

To help offset the closure, LAX constructed the Midfield Satellite Concourse South, which opened to the public on Oct. 20 and added eight gates to the airport’s footprint; it also includes a mural with an eye-catching detail.

As the new terminal is constructed, work continues to be done on the much-maligned LAX People Mover, the opening of which has been delayed numerous times. It is now tentatively set to open to the public in the summer of 2026. 

The closure comes as the federal government shutdown affects airports across the nation. LAX did briefly ground flights over the weekend due to a staffing shortage, according to the FAA, but the ground stop only lasted about two hours and mainly affected flights to and from Oakland and was due to staffing shortages there, not in Los Angeles, officials later said.

Air traffic control operators are expected to hold informational pickets discussing the effects of the shutdown on Tuesday, which is their first $0 paycheck day.

Several airports around the country were still experiencing issues on Tuesday morning, namely Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas as well as Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.