Originally Posted by LDVFlyer

LA World Airports (LAWA) has to manage the situation until the settlement agreement expires or comes up for renegotiation.

Planning has not stopped on building more gates (e.g., the Midfield Satellite Concourse). It is just that the new gates/new terminal will replace existing gates at the West Remote Gate Facility and even the American Eagle Commuter Facility.

The Satellite Concourse (MSC) will have 29 gates, 11 gates in the first phase. To make it work under the existing gate cap, LAWA could trade X-number of gates at the MSC for AA's right to 12 gates at the Commuter Facility (AA operates only 10 of the 12 now) and replace X-number of Remote gates. (There are 18 Remote gates.)

You could even be looking at a scenario where LAWA transfers all of AA's gates rights (outside of T4) to the MSC. The 12 for the Commuter Facility plus the 4 preferential at TBIT West would result in 16 gates at the MSC. That is three more more gates than AA has at T4 today. Effectively, AA would end up with a brand new terminal.

Not saying this is what is going to happen because LAWA could also close T3 to get the 12-13 additional gates it needs to make the numbers work. But, if the MSC construction begins with no set schedule for runway realignment, the more practical math involves a trade with AA. There are even contractual issues between LAWA and AA that would incentivize the trade.