LA Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park (LASED) announced American Airlines as its first partner at a press conference earlier today. American will be a Founding Partner of LASED and the official airline of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.
As a part of the agreement, the airline will be the exclusive naming rights partner of American Airlines Plaza, a 2.5-acre two-level open-air space that serves as a main entrance into the stadium and performance venue. American Airlines Plaza will also be the main entry point into an adjacent VIP entrance, which opens into a three-level lobby inside the stadium.
LASED is a 298-acre world-class sports and entertainment destination being built by Los Angeles Rams Owner and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. It will feature unparalleled event venues, office, retail and residential spaces, and more than 20 acres of parkland, with LA Stadium, the new home of the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, positioned as the centerpiece of the development. With more than 50 million visitors to Los Angeles in 2018 alone, LASED was not only designed to entertain fans, but also to serve as a community gathering space for Angelenos and for travelers to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
“As we continue Mr. Kroenke’s vision to build the premier destination for sports and entertainment at Hollywood Park, we are proud to partner with an industry-leading business such as American Airlines,” said Jason Gannon, Managing Director of LASED. “We are both making investments in Los Angeles that will provide fans and customers an elevated experience as they travel, live, work and play.”
“For decades, Los Angeles has been one of American’s most important markets and has played a major role in connecting Southern California to the rest of the world,” said American Airlines President Robert Isom. “It is our mission to give our customers the world-class experience they deserve, and we are committed to doing so both at the airport and within the community. It’s an exciting time for the City of Angels and for American Airlines.”
American Airlines Plaza measures 10 stories tall and has a capacity of approximately 15,000 guests. The plaza will be open to the public year-round, on event days, as well as nonevent days.
The plaza sits between the stadium and performance venue. All three venues fall under the same roof, which is made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a lightweight and transparent plastic. American Airlines Plaza will have the ability to accommodate its own programming that will reflect and connect with the cultural passions of the Los Angeles community.
American is the largest carrier at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with more than 200 daily flights to 70 destinations and is the only airline at LAX with nonstop service to five continents. The carrier continues to grow and strengthen its 70-plus year presence at the hub through significant direct and indirect investments in the region, including a $1.6 billion modernization project to fully reimagine LAX Terminals 4 and 5 — American’s largest individual investment at an airport in its 93-year history.
“Strong partnerships with LASED, the Chargers and the Rams demonstrate American’s commitment to investing in our business and in the Los Angeles community,” said Suzanne Boda, American’s Senior Vice President of Los Angeles. “This stadium, and the events that will be held here, will bring people throughout the region and from around the world together. Connecting people is our business, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for the bright future of this city, our airline and the 7,300 team members who call Los Angeles home.”
“Building the best stadium in the world brings with it the opportunity to partner with the best companies in the world,” said A.G. Spanos, Los Angeles Chargers’ President of Business Operations. “While both the Chargers and American Airlines seek to be best in class at what we do, what truly makes this partnership a perfect fit is our organizations’ commitment to the community. With these shared values as the foundation of this new partnership, we look forward to big things both in 2020 and for years to come.”
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with American Airlines and travel with them to Hollywood Park,” said Kevin Demoff, Los Angeles Rams’ Chief Operating Officer. “From building playgrounds and rewarding fans with trips to games to flying the team to Super Bowl LIII, American Airlines and the Rams have made quite a team. We are looking forward to continuing to work together to inspire Angelenos to shine bright and reach new heights.”
In addition, American will become the official airline of both the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams and have prominent branding during Rams and Chargers gamedays. American has been the official airline of the Los Angeles Rams since their homecoming in 2016.
LASED was represented by Legends Global Partnerships in securing this historic partnership with American Airlines.
American’s commitment to Los Angeles continues
American was one of LAX’s first carriers when the airport opened for commercial use in 1946. Today’s announcement as the first corporate partner of LASED, as well as the official airline of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, marks the latest steps in American’s continued commitment to the City of Angels.
In May 2017, Boda was named Senior Vice President of Los Angeles for American, a newly created position charged with developing and achieving the airline’s strategic goals in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. Last October, Boda joined American Chairman and CEO Doug Parker, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles Councilmember Joe Buscaino, Los Angeles World Airports Commissioner Sean Burton and Los Angeles World Airports CEO Deborah Flint to officially begin construction on a $1.6 billion modernization project to fully reimagine LAX Terminals 4 and 5. When completed, the new facility will create a world-class customer experience from end to end, with open and efficient check-in and security processing areas; more inviting gate areas with increased seating and access to modern amenities; and greater ability for airline operations to quickly adapt to and incorporate rapidly evolving new technologies.
Since 2013, American has increased its employee presence in Los Angeles by more than 60%, including the hiring of 200-plus Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking flight attendants and customer service agents. Today, American is the largest carrier and airline employer at LAX with more than 7,300 team members based at the hub, producing a $14.5 billion total economic output in the region last year — a figure which grew by 10% in just one year.
In addition to strengthening the local economy, American has established strong partnerships with community organizations focused on disaster relief, health and human services and military/veterans initiatives. Highlights include:
- Strengthening the multiyear, multimillion dollar partnership with Stand Up To Cancer. Anyone who made a donation of $25 or more to Stand Up during July was able to add the name of a person they stand up for to an American Airlines Airbus A321. The plane, which will begin flying this fall, will be wrapped with a special design that displays those names for the world to see
- Supporting the Gary Sinise Foundation’s military and veterans programs, including Snowball Express in which 12 chartered American aircraft flew to more than 35 locations last December, picking up children and spouses of those who have died in service to our nation for a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando for five days.
- Partnering with the Rams and Carter’s Kids to construct a 1,500- square-foot playground at Bennett-Kew Elementary School in Inglewood, California, designed for children ages 5 to 12. The new facility, which opened in April, features climbing walls, ladders, slides and more for the community to enjoy
Photo credit: LA Stadium and Entertainment District
