LAX’s long-delayed airport train was 97% complete in May 2024.
More than two years later, it still hasn’t opened, and now it has a new target date.
The $3.34 billion project is targeting passenger service in October 2026, even as a bitter legal fight and massive cost overruns raise fresh questions about whether the latest deadline will hold.
YouTuber Nick Andert, who investigated the project’s troubled history, blasted the conduct of construction consortium LINXS.
“The sheer cynicism on display by LINXS is breathtaking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this degree of shameless behavior from a contractor before,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
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.
The latest opening target has already missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup window.
Officials are now aiming to have the system operating ahead of Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
And even the latest target isn’t considered a lock.
In July 2026, LINXS sued the city over unresolved contract and delay disputes after an additional $880 million was paid to the contractor consortium.
Industry experts and local transit advocates have warned the opening could slip again.
Andert’s investigation focused heavily on the contract structure, arguing that it allowed the builder to halt work during engineering disputes while leveraging penalty clauses against the city.
The resulting legal standoff led to the $880 million settlement and allowed construction to resume.
Despite the drama, the project is now physically nearing the finish line.
Train cars have been conducting trial runs on the tracks, while crews work on final station details including lighting, screens and platform testing.
Once open, the fully electric system will run 24/7, connecting six stations across the airport.
Its mission is to eliminate LAX’s notorious terminal traffic “horseshoe,” removing up to 3,200 shuttle trips from the central terminal area every day.
SkyLink will also connect LAX directly to the city’s Metro rail system for the first time and bring all rental-car companies together at a single giant off-site facility.
But Los Angeles World Airports is paying a hefty price for the transformation.
LAWA is covering the project using its own proprietary revenues.
Another $1.6 billion is budgeted to operate and maintain the people mover for 30 years.
The project has now spent seven years under construction, turning what was supposed to be a roughly $1.9 billion construction project into a $3.3 billion megaproject.
