Dallas-Fort Worth International opened its new Skylink system in late May. The automated people mover, which took more than five years to complete, connects passengers to four terminals, with hookup to a fifth due by the end of the summer. At that point, Skylink will run 114 cars in two directions at speeds of up to 35 mph and carry roughly 8,500 passengers per direction per hour.
That capacity overshadows other airport transit systems. Chicago O'Hare International Airport's transit system, for instance, can only accommodate 2,400 people per hour.
Capacity and speed are particularly important at DFW since about two- thirds of its passengers connect to other flights. With Skyline, the airport can guarantee connections to flights less than 30 minutes apart. The speed--average ride about 5 minutes--and frequent runs also mean travelers with longer layovers can visit concessions at various terminals, all of which should boost the airport's fortunes and the local economy. Some 77,000 new jobs over the next 15 years are expected directly from Skylink and other projects in the airport's Capital Development Program.
There is one squeaky wheel in DFW's new system. If the U.S. Congress votes yes on a bill it is considering to repeal the 1979 Wright Amendment--forbidding long-haul flights out of nearby Love Field--the shift in flights and passengers to Love Field could translate into a significant loss of passengers and revenue at DFW, which owes $3.8 billion for its CDP projects.
