LAX’s nightmare ‘people mover’ delayed again three years after scheduled opening

The opening of the new People Mover train at Los Angeles International Airport has been pushed back — yet again — from October to sometime January.

The 2.25-mile automated train, which would move people in between terminals, was actually supposed to open back in 2023. It’s part of a $3.3 billion project that includes transportation between economy parking, the rental car center and the LAX Metro Transit Center.

Despite a deadline for the train’s completion in December, contractor LAX Integrated Express Solutions said in a September disclosure that it still has additional tasks to complete that may overrun that deadline, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The train still needs 30 days of successful consecutive testing and has to receive an independent overview and an assessment by Los Angeles World Airports. In addition, an utility agreement with the city Department of Water and Power also needs to be done.

January 6th is a potential start date, the contractor said, but even that date could not be guaranteed.

“There can be no assurances that achievement of the Passenger Service Availability Date will not be delayed further,” the contractor said in the filing.

Officials have announced that the project is actually more than 99% complete, but it also was embroiled in a bitter legal fight and cost overruns.

The LAX Automated People Mover, also known as SkyLink, began construction in 2019 with an original projected construction budget of $1.9 billion. After years of delays and contract disputes, the project’s cost has ballooned to $3.34 billion, including $1.34 billion in additional city payouts.

Also in July 2026, the contractor LINXS sued the city over unresolved contract and delay disputes after an additional $880 million was paid to the contractor consortium.

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Los Angeles World Airports told the Times that it will not compromise on taking the necessary time for testing.

“We will not compromise on these stringent safety protocols, as delivering a system that safely, dependably and durably serves Los Angeles and our upcoming global events is our primary focus,” it said in a statement.

If it opens in January, the train could face a test with the upcoming Super Bowl in February at nearby SoFi Stadium after it already missed out on the World Cup.

Airport travelers told KTLA they were not surprised by the news of the delay.

“Like anything with construction, probably there’s going to be more delays,” traveler Robin Metz said.