John Ackerman is CEO of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and has oversight of Los Angeles International (LAX) and Van Nuys (VNY) airports. He has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. He most recently served as executive vice president of global strategy and development for Dallas Fort Worth International. He is also a trained pilot and veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
LAX is in the midst of a $30 billion multiyear airport expansion, development and capital improvement program. Can you talk about what this project entails, and what benefits it will bring?
Our ongoing transformation is about delivering an excellent airport that our team members, guests and city
deserve. We鈥檙e a unique airport in every sense 鈥� the volume we handle, the global reach we have 鈥� but our infrastructure hasn鈥檛 always kept up with evolving needs. It鈥檚 time to change that.
That鈥檚 why this $30 billion investment is so important. It鈥檚 the largest public works effort in the history of Los Angeles, and it gives us a once-in-a-generation opportunity not just to fix what鈥檚 outdated, but to build something better than ever before. And that starts with our core infrastructure 鈥� the roads, the utilities,
the connections and the facilities that physically hold the airport together 鈥� while also keeping our eyes focused on the future, and prioritizing our human infrastructure and technology infrastructure, too.
A centerpiece of this transformation is SkyLink, our new automated people mover that will finally give LAX the modern,reliable, time鈥慶ertain connection it has needed for decades. By linking terminals with parking, public transit and rideshare areas, SkyLink will dramatically reduce congestion, improve predictability and reshape how people move through the airport. It鈥檚 one of the most visible examples of how we are building a smarter, more connected LAX for the future.
LAX has made it a focus to bring Los Angeles into the airport. Can you share a bit about why you made this decision and how you will implement it?
Putting the 鈥淟A鈥� in LAX is our vision and commitment to making sure anyone who experiences the airport sees
and feels the spirit of our city the moment they arrive. Many people think Los Angeles is all about Hollywood and the entertainment industry 鈥� but we are also a multidimensional powerhouse, with world-class food, iconic neighborhoods and a history that has influenced global trends for generations.
Our focus on putting the 鈥淟A鈥� in LAX means weaving that identity into the employee and guest experience as we refresh the airport over the next several years 鈥� terminal by terminal, gate by gate. We want guests to feel that creativity, diversity and sense of possibility that defines this city 鈥� whether it鈥檚 through design, dining, art, or the overall atmosphere. This isn鈥檛 just about updating facilities 鈥� it鈥檚 about creating a place that truly represents Los Angeles and leaves people with the best impression of who we are as a city.
LAX is one of the busiest origin-and-destination airports. What unique challenges does that present?
Being one of the busiest O&D airports in the country comes with a huge advantage. It means people aren鈥檛 just
connecting through Los Angeles 鈥� they鈥檙e choosing to come to our city. That creates an incredible opportunity to shape their very first and very last impression of LA. It also means that every improvement we make has a direct impact on their travel experience, which is something we take very seriously. It pushes us to raise the bar on service, on reliability, on the overall experience that our guests have from the moment they arrive. And embracing
that responsibility 鈥� really leaning into it 鈥� is what allows us to meet challenges head鈥憃n and continually elevate what our guests can expect from LAX.
Can you share a bit about the long-term vision for LAX and VNY?
The long-term vision is for LAX to be an airport that leads with excellence 鈥� to be one of the world鈥檚 best
airports. It鈥檚 about building an airport experience worthy of Los Angeles, one that guests trust and that reflects the ambition and creativity of this city every single day.
For Van Nuys, the goal is to make it the nation鈥檚 premier business and general aviation airport, deeply aligned with the needs of the community it serves. If LAX is the international gateway, VNY is its counterpart designed to keep our aviation ecosystem strong.
How do you attract and retain both new airlines and have existing airlines increase their service levels?
Attracting and retaining airline business really comes down to creating an environment where carriers feel
confident investing in Los Angeles. It鈥檚 no secret that LAX and Los Angeles are expensive places to do business, as many of the world鈥檚 greatest cities are. But when airlines see strong demand, a clear vision and a commitment to improving the overall passenger experience, they鈥檙e more willing to add service and invest in the airport long鈥憈erm.
It鈥檚 also about building strong relationships. Airlines want to operate in places where their customers feel taken care of, where operations are predictable and where the environment supports future growth. When we focus on excellence over volume, carriers respond by expanding service, enhancing their schedules and deepening their presence in Los Angeles.
How do you motivate your staff?
Our top priority is our people. This includes filling critical vacancies, supporting our workers and shaping
the team culture we want to see. Over the past two years, we鈥檝e made real progress strengthening the team and
increasing staff levels where it mattered most. In 2025 alone, we filled over 370 vacancies and saw a dramatic drop in recordable injuries.
We are also doing ambitious, meaningful work here and when a team member sees they鈥檙e contributing to something big and they understand their role in that work, they want to contribute. We have seen this happen over the course of the last two years, with our team seeing our investment in them, and seeing how they are part of transforming our airports and preparing to welcome the world for major events.
What is LAWA鈥檚 biggest challenge and how do you overcome it?
Our biggest challenge is one I鈥檝e talked about a lot today, because it captures the past, present and future
of this airport: you can鈥檛 build a world鈥慶lass airport with third-class infrastructure. LAX is one of the busiest and most important airports in the world, yet for years the systems underneath it didn鈥檛 keep pace, and that鈥檚 why we鈥檝e had to confront so many long鈥憇tanding issues head鈥憃n. If rebuilding and reimagining an airport of this scale were easy, we wouldn鈥檛 have the LAX we have today. The truth is that every decision involves tradeoffs 鈥� balancing the need for new facilities with the realities of operating an airport that is constantly in motion and
constantly under construction.
Overcoming that challenge means staying focused on the vision. We鈥檙e already starting to see real wins take shape because of the investments made. The key is to stay steady, remain on course, and keep pushing forward.
What are you most excited about for the future?
Above all, our team is most excited to see the change in people culture. Our people culture extends into everything we do as an airport 鈥� it includes the teams on the airfield and in the terminals, our public safety officers, our maintenance workers, concessionaires, administrators and everyone in between. An airport only works when all of those pieces move together, and we鈥檙e starting to see that alignment take shape in a real,
meaningful way.
We鈥檝e been intentional about building a winning culture 鈥� one rooted in trust, communication and shared purpose. Filling vacancies, strengthening teams and investing in our workforce has been a huge part of that. When people feel supported and understand how their work connects to the bigger picture, the energy shifts. You can feel it in how teams collaborate, how they problem鈥憇olve and how they show up for one another. A team
that reflects the spirit of our airport and the spirit of Los Angeles 鈥� resilient, creative, ambitious 鈥� is what will carry us through the massive projects ahead. The infrastructure work is historic, but it鈥檚 the people who will ultimately push us forward, and help us deliver on everything we鈥檝e set out to do.
Los Angeles is hosting the 98th Annual 糖心原创 Conference and Exposition. What do you hope attendees leave your city with?
When attendees leave Los Angeles after the 糖心原创 Conference, I hope they walk away with a real sense of
what this city is all about. LA is a global crossroads for culture and innovation. Los Angeles is not just the birthplace of the entertainment industry 鈥� it has been a mecca for automotive design; many of the world鈥檚 most important and iconic aircraft were designed and built here; this city has launched trends and shaped the world for decades. I want people to feel that energy from the moment they arrive to the moment they head home. This is a city that leads with creativity and possibility. Visitors should experience that not just in the places they visit or the food they eat across the city 鈥� but in LAX itself.
More than anything, I hope they leave with the feeling that Los Angeles is a city moving confidently into the future. We鈥檙e honest about the challenges we鈥檝e faced, but we鈥檙e equally proud of the momentum we鈥檝e built and the ambition behind the work we鈥檙e doing. If attendees head home inspired, then we鈥檝e done our job. And if they鈥檙e already thinking about their next trip back 鈥� even better.