Cathay Pacific seeks to rename LAX Metro station in $10 million branding deal

Cathay Pacific is seeking to pay nearly $10 million for naming rights to the new Metro station serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), a deal that would rebrand the transit hub as the Cathay Pacific/LAX Metro Transit Center.

The five-year sponsorship agreement, valued at $9.975 million, is scheduled for approval by the Metro Executive Management Committee on May 21, 2026.

What the deal includes

Under the proposal, the Hong Kong-based carrier would receive full station branding, including signage, maps and audio announcements bearing the Cathay Pacific name. The package also includes existing advertising media at the station, a portion of digital assets, and wraps on 13 light-rail vehicles. Retail space and the station roof would be excluded from the agreement.

Cathay Pacific, which is 30% owned by Chinese state carrier Air China, currently operates three daily flights from LAX to Hong Kong.

The station and what’s still to come

The LAX/Metro Transit Center opened on June 6, 2025, serving as the rail and bus gateway to the airport. It connects travelers arriving via the C and K Metro lines to the airport’s bus shuttle and, in time, to the automated people mover known as Skylink.

For now, passengers arriving at the station reach the terminals by bus, which runs approximately every 10 minutes from 04:00 to 01:00. The Skylink people mover, originally expected to open in 2023, is now projected to begin service in late 2026.

The system began passenger-free testing last month and must complete 30 consecutive days of uninterrupted operation without significant issues before it can open to the public. Once operational, the people mover will span 2.25 miles across six stations – three inside the central terminal area plus three outside, with trains running every two minutes at peak times and a full end-to-end trip taking about 10 minutes.

A branding play at a major US gateway

If approved, the naming rights deal would place Cathay Pacific’s brand in front of every rail passenger arriving at LAX, regardless of which airline they are flying with. The station serves travelers heading to all terminals across the airport, giving the carrier high visibility at one of the busiest airports in the United States.

No competing bid for the naming rights has been submitted from a US carrier.

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