Cathay Pacific to buy LAX Metro station naming rights in USD 10M deal
Dhaka: Cathay Pacific is set to acquire the naming rights to the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles in a five-year deal worth nearly USD 10 million. The Metro Executive Management Committee is expected to approve the agreement on May 21.
Under the deal, the station will be rebranded as the Cathay Pacific / LAX Metro Transit Center. The airline will receive full station branding, updates to maps and announcements, and wraps on 13 trains.
The LAX/Metro Transit Center opened last June, serving as the rail and bus gateway connecting the airport to the regional transit network. Passengers currently reach terminals via buses running approximately every 10 minutes between 04:00 and 01:00.
The long-delayed Skylink automated people mover has not yet opened to passengers. It began passenger-free testing last month and must complete 30 consecutive days of uninterrupted operation before entering service.
The system was originally scheduled to open in 2023. When operational, it will span 2.25 miles across six stations, with trains running every two minutes at peak times.
Cathay Pacific, 30% owned by Chinese state carrier Air China, currently operates three daily flights at LAX. The agreement works out to roughly USD 1.7 million annually.
Metro data indicates that 72% of LAX Metro riders systemwide have household incomes under USD 50,000, raising questions about the return on investment for the Hong Kong-based airline, particularly given its comparatively limited footprint at the airport relative to dominant domestic carriers.
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