The world's largest automated people mover is coming to Dubai's mega-airport, Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). The planned 50km line will connect the airport via nine stations, transporting passengers across the vast site.
The project contract was recently awarded by Dubai Aviation City Corporation to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), its Dubai subsidiary, and Indian multinational conglomerate Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T).
According to MHI, construction is due for completion in December 2031, ahead of the anticipated opening of the first phase of the airport in 2032.
A further expansion will bring the people mover to 14 stations when all the airport's phases are complete.
Ramkumar Sundararajan, executive vice president and head of transportation infrastructure at L&T, said the project came with some challenges.
“This project exemplifies the scale and complexity of integrated APM Rail Systems that L&T is uniquely positioned to deliver,” he said.
“MHI’s proven APM Systems and L&T’s extensive integrated systems experience, supported by the world-class Engineering Designs Centre, enables us to execute such projects with a strong focus on safety and quality.”
What is a people mover?
A people mover is like a metro, but typically covers shorter distances within a closed circuit such as an airport or a theme park. Like the Dubai Metro, the airport's people mover will be autonomous and function similarly to the MHI-built APM at Dubai International Airport, which runs in terminals 1 and 3.
The new transit system, running entirely underground within the airport premises, will, by a wide margin, surpass the current largest automated people movers, both of which are in the US.
The DFW Skylink at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is about 8km long, while the AirTrain JFK at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport is about the same length, with an extra 5km extending beyond the airport boundaries.
Dubai's new mega-hub
Al Maktoum International Airport is poised to become the biggest in the world, capable of handling 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of freight annually.
Work will be completed in phases, with the first due to open in 2032. Phase 1 will see the launch of the West Terminal, the people mover and Concourse 1, bringing the total capacity of DWC up to 130 million passengers a year.
By the end, four concourses will be operational, each with three people-mover stops, according to Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects.
Connecting to Dubai and beyond
This is not the first mobility project recently contracted to connect to the airport. The Airport Express Link will connect Dubai International Airport (DXB) and DWC, with stops in popular areas of Dubai. The 55km route will provide easy access between the airports at either end of the city.
It was also announced that Etihad Rail's high-speed rail service, which will be launched in 2030, will have a station serving Al Maktoum International Airport as well as the Dubai Metro.
“At the moment there's very limited connectivity [but] Etihad Rail will now come very close to DWC phase 2, and we will have a dedicated station box adjacent to the airport, so you'll be able to step off Etihad Rail effortlessly into the new airport,” Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths told The National in May.
“Secondly, we've had the announcement of the airport express, which will link the major population centres of Dubai with a very efficient rail journey to DWC phase two – that will be very welcome.”
