Legal Dispute Over LAX Personnel Mover Heats Up

A legal battle is underway concerning the ongoing issues with the LAX personnel mover, SkyLink, which has seen significant delays and rising tensions.

The operator of the $3.3 billion SkyLink train has taken the city of Los Angeles to court, claiming that the airport authority has hidden the true reasons for the delays plaguing the project.

This lawsuit adds to the challenges of what was intended to be an innovative system for transporting passengers at Los Angeles International Airport. Instead, it has become a symbol of missed deadlines and escalating legal conflicts.

Initially, the automated personnel transfer system was set to launch in 2024. Airport officials then aimed for it to be operational before the FIFA World Cup to test the system ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

However, passengers are still left waiting while train testing drags on and no opening date is in sight. LINXS alleges that they have spent considerable time—two years—trying to resolve disputes before resorting to legal action.

Last week, LINXS filed a complaint against Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, asserting that the agency has concealed project delays, modified project drawings, and thrown up roadblocks hindering construction.

According to LINXS, the lawsuit must be filed by an October deadline; otherwise, lenders may demand repayment of funds. They claim that significant delays are LAWA’s fault, citing issues such as a 2025 power outage that halted operations for 141 days.

LINXS maintains that these outages stemmed from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, while LAWA continues to hold the contractor responsible, despite knowing the true sources of the problems.

The lawsuit alleges that LAWA altered road drawings to incorrectly assert that sections of work were complete, allowing their other contractors to operate there prematurely.

This courtroom clash is just the latest issue in a project that was expected to exemplify LAX’s $30 billion overhaul. Despite ongoing meetings between LAWA’s CEO and LINXS leaders, disputes linger, resulting in LAWA losing hundreds of millions in settlements.

LAWA expressed it might consider filing its own lawsuit but remains focused on getting the train operational. In a statement, they emphasized that improving the passenger experience at LAX is a priority and insisted they remain committed to collaborative efforts with LINXS to achieve operational readiness.

Mayor Karen Bass’s office defended the project, highlighting significant investments made to enhance LAX’s standing as a world-class travel hub, despite ongoing setbacks in delivering the SkyLink train system.

Once operational, the 3.25-mile train is supposed to link LAX to Metro rail services, aiming to alleviate the severe congestion at the airport. However, the anticipated solution continues to be delayed as issues mount.