SkyLink — the 2.25-mile automated train meant to connect terminals, parking, rental cars and the Metro Transit Center — was supposed to open in 2023. Passenger service is now expected in January 2027, but that date is not guaranteed.
SkyLink is functionally built and trains run on tracks without passengers, but passenger service requires 30 consecutive days of successful testing, independent review, LAWA assessment, and a finalized LADWP utility agreement.
A Los Angeles County civil grand jury found LINXS largely responsible for problems that contributed to delays, but LAWA says it will not cut safety or testing protocols to meet deadlines.
Los Angeles International Airport's automated People Mover — now called SkyLink — has been delayed again. The system's expected start of passenger service is January 2027, nearly four years after it was initially scheduled to begin operation in 2023. The project began construction in 2019 and is about 99 percent complete. Trains are already running on the elevated guideway without passengers.
What remains before passengers can ride
SkyLink still needs several procedural and technical steps before carrying travelers:
LINXS, the contractor, filed a lawsuit against the city in July over the delays and has said it cannot guarantee the January 2027 date will hold. LAWA emphasizes that safety and reliability are the agency's top priorities and that it will not rush testing or weaken protocols.
The People Mover was designed to link terminals with parking, rental car centers and the Metro Transit Center to reduce car dependence and ease congestion around the airport. For travelers and the city, the system represents a relatively small but practical piece of a larger effort to improve connectivity. Delays have extended public frustration because the physical system looks finished while operational readiness and approvals remain outstanding.
Tension between LAWA and LINXS has been public. LINXS sued the city over responsibility for project delays. A Los Angeles County civil grand jury examined the program and concluded that LINXS was largely responsible for issues that contributed to those delays. Despite that finding, the dispute between the contractor and the airport authority has not produced a firm, unassailable opening date.
LAWA's position is that thorough testing of tracks, signaling and vehicles is standard and necessary for automated airport transit systems. The agency says it will not compromise on safety or reliability even to meet a target date. That position aligns with the need for a driverless train to demonstrate consistent, safe operations before carrying passengers.
Until those items are cleared, LAWA's projected January 2027 start date should be treated as conditional rather than firm.
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