Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the Automated People Mover at LAX has been delayed.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) confirmed to Rabble News on Thursday that its oft-delayed transit project known as Skylink has been delayed once again, pushing a potential opening date into October 2026 at the earliest.
The new date was mentioned in the May status update by LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS), the public-private partnership of developers who have been tasked with designing, building and (eventually) operating the Automated People Mover.
In the report, LINXS laid much of the blame for this latest delay at the feet of LAWA, blaming the Airport Authority of failing to complete utility and solar connection agreements with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
LINXS claims those delays have added at least 160 additional days to the schedule.
Another issue involved ride and cable plate issues that interrupted system demonstration testing.
The Automated People Mover has been moving cars back and forth between LAX and the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station in nearby Westchester as part of that testing, but the project cannot proceed to eventual passenger service until it completes a prolonged run without any technical delays or errors.
Previously, testing was set to be completed by the end of this month, but LINXS now says it won’t be completed until Aug. 5, 2026, at the earliest.
In April, LINXS brought forth claims against LAWA to a neutral party, which ruled in its favor and allowed for another extension of key contract deadlines. LAWA did not attend this hearing, the status report states.
Who is to blame for the Automated People Mover delays?
This is the latest in a prolonged and frustrating project timeline that has seen the LAX train project be delayed for more than 2.5 years with hundreds of millions added to the initial estimated costs.
The ongoing delays can be attributed largely to a frosty relationship between LAWA and LINXS, which has become strained at best, and adversarial at worst.
While LINXS has continually blamed LAWA for much of the delays and sought financial compensation and contract extensions to get the project completed, a 2024-25 Los Angeles County Grand Jury Report offered a broader and more critical explanation.
Instead, the independent citizen jury found that LINXS had and continues to have most of the leverage in the relationship between the two parties, and said the project structure itself is flawed.
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The Grand Jury found that “time” is the overriding factor behind the project’s repeated change orders, which has led to ballooning costs, saying the city’s public commitment to complete the project ahead of major international events (most notably the 2028 Olympics) has weakened LAWA’s negotiating position.
The report said that pressure, combined with what the jury described as a contractor slowdown, has contributed to the majority of the change-order costs.
The jury also faulted the project’s contract structure, finding that LAWA lacked sufficient tools to force meaningful progress while disputes were being resolved. It called the dispute-resolution process inadequate and said the use of a single neutral party to arbitrate should be limited to narrower technical issues below a predetermined dollar threshold.
In the Grand Jury’s view, those flaws has allowed delay itself to become leverage for LINXS. The report concluded that had the contractor not been able to pressure LAWA with additional delays, a $550 million global settlement issued in 2024 “might have been considerably lower.”
LAWA, in the Grand Jury’s view, has “pragmatically” agreed to much of LINXS’ demands because of the public pressure and potential embarrassment of Skylink not operating during the 2028 Olympics.
The project has already missed out on the FIFA World Cup due to delays.
With this latest delay, system testing will conclude at the very earliest in August. Contractually, it will need to begin service by October—but LINXS has repeatedly been able to get that date extended.
Additional deadlines are on the horizon in 2027, including an August 2027 deadline date for the project’s lender, which could come with penalties if the project isn’t completed in time. LAWA could also seek more serious remedies against LINXS if another deadline later in October 2027 is reached without service.
When reached for comment, LAWA did not get into the gritty details about this latest delay, but instead focused on the rigorous testing the project will need to pass before service could begin in earnest.
“The safety and absolute reliability of the SkyLink train are our highest priorities as we progress toward passenger service. Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems, and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration. 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.”
LAX Public Relations
What is the LAX Automated People Mover?
The 2.25-mile Skylink system is part of a multi-billion dollar modernization effort at LAX, that aims to improve the passenger experience, reduce traffic and, finally, after decades or promises, connect the busiest airport in California with the region’s public transit system.
The Automated People Mover will travel to and from LAX on an aerial rail system, stopping at six new stations along its route and connecting travelers to parking structures, car rental facilities and the new LAX/Metro Transit Center Station.
The vast majority of the project, well over 90%, has been considered complete since at least December 2023, according to a report from the California Public Utilities Commission.
With delays, contact disputes and project remedies, the estimated costs have now exceeded $3.34 billion.
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