Alstom has secured a $436m contract to replace the existing Skyway automated people mover (APM) system at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

The contract also includes operation and maintenance of the system for 15 years, and the supply of 16 new Innovia APM R vehicles. There will also be a new Operations Control Centre, upgraded Automatic Train Control and communications systems, and station doors in all terminals modernised.

The new Skyway is needed because of record-breaking passenger growth at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, with over 48 million passengers passing through it last year. Whilst the Skyway is being renewed, buses will be provided for transfers between terminals to minimise disruption to customers.

After renewing the Skyway system, the authorities expect fewer service disruptions and better passenger flow between terminals. They also anticipate that upgrading the communications and monitoring systems will increase operational reliability.

Alstom has been using the original Innovia APM 100 vehicles to operate the Skyway APM at George Bush Intercontinental Airport for the last 20 years. A 48-person operations and maintenance team works on site at the airport, where Alstom has been a trusted mobility partner for more than 25 years.

Elsewhere in Texas, Alstom is upgrading the Skylink automated people mover system at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and expanding the transit system in Fort Worth.

“Modernizing Houston’s Skyway system is essential to meeting the needs of one of the fastestgrowing airports in the United States. This next-generation APM will deliver more reliable, seamless travel for millions of passengers every year. We are proud to continue our long partnership with IAH and to help shape the future of airport mobility together.”

Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas