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LAX People Mover: Skylink test runs underway
Construction on the Automated People Mover began in 2019 with an original target debut of 2023. The project has since been delayed multiple times due to technical challenges and disputes between Los Angeles World Airports and the contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions.
LOS ANGELES - The long-awaited automated people mover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is officially on the move as it enters a rigorous testing period.
What we know:
The automated people mover, known as Skylink, began a "systems demonstration testing" phase on Monday. These electric trains are currently running on a full schedule, though no passengers are allowed on board during this initial 60-day period. The system travels along a 2.25-mile elevated guide way that connects airport terminals, parking structures, and various pick-up and drop-off areas.
The project features six stations located throughout the airport. Officials expect the system to move more than 30 million passengers annually once it is fully complete. The service will be free to ticketed passengers, their guests, and airport employees.
What they're saying:
Airport officials and spokespeople emphasized the efficiency and predictability the new system will bring to travelers.
"The valuable assets of the Skylink train is that it'll be two minutes between each stop, which means that from the furthest station out, you'll be able to be at Tom Bradley International Terminal in 10 minutes or less, making your trip predictable and on time," a spokesperson stated.
Regarding the transition to public use, officials noted that the timeline depends on safety results: "This first phase of testing will take approximately 60 days, at which point then we'll be able to put volunteers on the train to test what it would be like with passengers. And then once that phase is complete and all of the regulatory agencies have signed off, we'll be able to be fully operational."
What's next:
Following the current 60-day testing window and the subsequent volunteer testing phase, regulatory agencies must sign off on the system’s safety and performance.
While travelers can currently see the trains looping through the airport terminals every couple of minutes, they must wait for the completion of these regulatory hurdles before the system becomes fully operational for public use later this year.
The Source: This report is based on a field report from LAX on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, featuring interviews with airport spokespeople and direct observation of the Skylink systems demonstration testing. Travel times and passenger capacity projections were provided by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials.