The opening of the people mover train at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues to face significant delays amid disputes between the airport and its contractor, raising questions about the project’s timeline and unresolved technical issues.
The train, known as SkyLink, is being developed by LINXS, a private-public partnership that includes companies like Fluor, Balfour Beatty, ACS Infrastructure Development, Dragados USA, and HNTB. The project was originally expected to open this year but has been postponed due to disagreements over the responsibility for signing a solar power connectivity agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP). LINXS has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the landowner, declined to enter into the agreement. LAWA, however, has disputed those claims and moved to revise the project scope so solar panel installation is no longer a prerequisite for the train’s opening.
Compounding the legal and contractual disputes, safety issues have also caused delays. Testing last month encountered four “arc blasts,” electrical faults that damaged the train’s power rail and guide beam. After repairs and safety inspections, testing has resumed. According to project requirements, 30 consecutive days of successful testing without major issues, alongside formal approvals from LAWA and an independent engineer, are necessary before the train can enter service.
Additional complexity arises from integration concerns related to the solar power system, which industry experts say is unusual in such infrastructure projects. Liability around managing energy supply and demand tied to the solar installation may be a factor in the standoff between LAWA and LINXS.
LAWA has recently sought to clarify misinformation circulating online, publishing a fact-versus-myth questionnaire and a video debunking artificially manipulated images and videos purporting to show the train. The airport affirmed its commitment to holding LINXS accountable for delivering the project safely and reliably but has refrained from confirming any specific opening date, reiterating that service will not begin until final tests are successfully completed.
The dispute over responsibility has extended to public debate. An independent grand jury report largely faulted the contractor for the delays while questioning the role of outside consultants who advised on the original contract. Meanwhile, LINXS maintains that the airport and DWP bear responsibility for power interruptions and contractual issues.
Should SkyLink begin operations, it will connect passengers to terminals, rental car centers, parking lots, the LAX/Metro Transit Center, and a new rideshare lot designed for taxis, Uber, and Lyft pickups. This new system is expected to ease surface traffic congestion around the airport's previously gridlocked arrivals and departures area, which has already had ripple effects in the local business community.
City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has called for a convening of all parties involved to resolve the outstanding disagreements promptly, indicating this would be a priority if elected. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has expressed confidence the train will be running by January, despite the contractor’s projections pushing the date into February at the earliest.
For now, LAWA emphasizes its focus on ensuring the system is brought into service safely and reliably, without committing to any specific timeline.