LGB’s Outdoor Space Is A Breath of Fresh Air for Travelers
Airport architects predict that the COVID-19 pandemic will change airport design forever, including by better incorporating outdoor spaces that feel safe and inviting. With the opening of its award-winning passenger concourse in 2012, Long Beach Airport (LGB) was one of the first airports in the country to build a large outdoor space within a modern concourse. Those 20,000 square feet of fresh air have taken on added value in light of guidance from health experts that COVID is less likely to be transmitted in outdoor spaces.
Ringing the large courtyard area are dining options from local Long Beach establishments, all with outdoor seating and even including a wine bar with a fire pit. Again, these features provide safer alternatives to confined indoor dining areas for travelers.
“Our passengers consistently rate our outdoor garden area and its stylish landscaping as one of their favorite amenities,” said Long Beach Airport Director Cynthia Guidry. “The idea that you can wait for your flight outside in the fresh air – not to mention with your food and beverage of choice at the fire pit – is more valuable than ever.”
Although the concourse is the centerpiece of the outdoor experience at LGB, it is far from travelers’ only opportunity to enjoy the fine weather at the quintessentially Southern Californian airport. Since its establishment in 1923 as the first municipal airport in the state, LGB has taken advantage of the region’s world-famous sunshine to utilize outdoor boarding stairs and ramps, and the practice remains in place today. Not only does this beloved tradition instill a sense of nostalgia for a more glamorous time in air travel, but it also offers a fresh air alternative to queuing in a jet bridge. Likewise, the fact that all parking is located on site, just steps away from the historic terminal, means passengers can avoid traveling within the confined space of parking shuttles.
Since the beginning of the pandemic earlier this year, LGB has taken numerous measures to improve health and safety, such as enhanced cleaning protocols, installation of physical barriers and additional hand sanitizer stations, physical distancing and a face covering requirement for all employees and visitors.
The airport recently debuted a new video, “Fly Easy at LGB,” to inform passengers about steps the airport is taking to make air travel as safe as possible during these trying times. The video, which is a play on the airport’s slogan “Where the going is easy,” is available on @LGBAirport social media channels, or by clicking below.
As airports adjust to the new reality brought on by COVID, LGB is well-positioned to continue to serve as an airport of choice for Southern California.