Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has selected a consortium of Indian construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Japan’s Mitsubishi to deliver the automated people-mover (APM) as part of Phase One of the $35 billion expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport project, reported MEED.

The APM system will serve as a critical facility for operations at Al Maktoum International Airport.  It will run under the apron of the entire airfield and the airport’s terminals. It will consist of multiple tracks, taking passengers from the terminals to the concourses.

Four underground stations will be built as part of the first phase. The overall plan includes 14 stations across the airport. The Phase One is set to begin operations in 2032. 

Last month, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, said AED13 billion ($3.5 billion) contracts were being executed, and over 10 million work hours had been completed in the past 15 months. 

“Strategic project contracts exceeding AED55 billion are set to be awarded in the coming months,” he added.

These include the substructure works for Western Passenger Terminal, the fourth aircraft concourse building and the baggage handling system, in addition to the superstructure works for the Western Passenger Terminal. The packages also encompass long-span structural frameworks for buildings covering about 1.5 million sq m, infrastructure works for the southern airfield area, and power generation and district cooling plants.

The award of the facade and roofing packages is also planned for this year.