Atlanta Awards 10-Year APM Upgrade Contract to MHI Subsidiary

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has awarded a 10-year contract to Crystal Mover Services Inc. (CMSI), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, to upgrade and modernize its ATL SkyTrain automated people mover system.

The contract, which runs from March 2026 through March 2036, includes a comprehensive equipment renewal program aimed at maintaining safe and reliable operations. Planned upgrades include replacement of signaling systems, procurement of additional vehicles and refurbishment or replacement of existing rolling stock.

The ATL SkyTrain connects the airport’s main terminal with the rental car center via a 2.2-kilometer elevated, double-track guideway with an intermediate station. Since entering service in 2009, the system has served as a key piece of landside infrastructure supporting passenger circulation at the world’s busiest airport.

CMSI has provided operations and maintenance services for the system since its launch and renewed that agreement in 2024 for an additional five-year term. The latest contract expands the company’s role to include long-term capital upgrades as the system enters a more mature phase of its lifecycle.

For airport operators, the project reflects a broader trend of midlife reinvestment in automated people mover systems, particularly those installed in the early 2000s, as airports look to sustain reliability, manage lifecycle costs and support growing passenger volumes.

CMSI currently supports APM systems at several major U.S. airports, including Miami, Washington Dulles, Orlando and Tampa, providing ongoing operations and maintenance services.