The 2.25-mile LAX Automated People Mover, a $3.3 billion project that contractors say is 99% complete, now targets an early January opening — though the consortium building it refuses to commit to that date.

Contractor LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS) disclosed in a Sept. 16 filing that the Dec. 8 contractual completion deadline will slip. If testing and a utility agreement fall into place, passenger service could begin Jan. 6, the consortium said. That would put the automated train in revenue operation a little more than a month before the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium — the next major showcase event at that venue ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, after the system missed its chance to demonstrate itself during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"There can be no assurances that achievement of the Passenger Service Availability Date will not be delayed further," LINXS wrote in the disclosure.

What has to happen before passengers board?

Four gates stand between the People Mover and revenue service:

• 30 consecutive days of successful systems testing
• An independent safety overview
• An assessment by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the city-owned airport authority
• A utility agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Seth Lehman, senior director at Fitch Ratings, said the 30-day testing window should start in the coming weeks.

LAWA reiterated that it will not compromise on safety protocols. "Rigorous, exhaustive testing of all tracks, signaling systems and vehicles is the standard industry practice for major automated airport transit infrastructure to guarantee seamless long-term system integration," the authority said in a statement. "We will not compromise on these stringent safety protocols, as delivering a system that safely, dependably and durably serves Los Angeles and our upcoming global events is our primary focus."

Who is building the People Mover?

LINXS is a public-private partnership whose equity partners include Fluor, Balfour Beatty, ACS Infrastructure Development, Dragados USA and HNTB. Construction began in 2019.

When finished, the elevated automated people mover will connect LAX terminals with a consolidated parking and rental car facility and the LAX/Metro Transit Center on Aviation Boulevard. A designated rideshare and taxi lot now near Terminal 1 will relocate to the Metro center site once the train opens.

LAX officials have long argued the system will relieve chronic congestion in the "horseshoe" roadway ring around the terminal campus.

Why has the project stalled?

LINXS and LAWA remain locked in disputes over schedule and compensation. LINXS recently sued the city, blaming the airport for delays. A Los Angeles County grand jury report reached the opposite conclusion — that the contractor, not the airport, was largely responsible for the problems.

The original opening target was 2023. Contractors more recently hoped to begin service next month.

"We believe that because the project is literally at the edge of completion, that LAWA would still be incentivized to continue to work with the current parties and get to the finish line," Lehman said.

What is the financial exposure?

Fitch Ratings recently moved the project's $1.2 billion senior bond from BB+ to BB — into junk-grade territory — and placed it on negative watch. The downgrade underscored the project's vulnerability to default.

Bondholders agreed to consolidate an Oct. 8 interim deadline into the final Dec. 8 deadline. LAWA retains the contractual right to terminate LINXS if the project is not substantially complete by Dec. 8, but analysts consider that outcome unlikely given how close the system is to handover.

Shannon McCue, also of Fitch, said consolidating the deadlines bought the consortium breathing room. "It did buy them some time," she said. Fitch continues to assess the situation before issuing any new rating.

What is at stake with the upcoming events?

If the People Mover enters service by early January, it will operate for the first time during one of the heaviest travel periods LAX has handled, with the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood arriving roughly five weeks later. That game gives airport officials a high-profile opportunity to validate the system's reliability before the 2028 Summer Olympics, when Los Angeles will host events including opening and closing ceremonies at the same venue.

That timeline leaves no margin for further slippage. The consortium's own filing acknowledges the risk: the public-private partnership remains contractually exposed to additional delays beyond Dec. 8 if outstanding claims with LAWA remain unresolved.

Representatives of LINXS did not respond to requests for comment.