Larsen & Toubro and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries win APM contract for Al Maktoum International Airport

A consortium comprising Larsen & Toubro and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured a major turnkey contract to deliver an Automated People Mover (APM) system for Phase 1 of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. The project supports Dubai's master plan to scale the airport into the world's largest aviation hub.

A consortium formed by Larsen & Toubro's (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured a major turnkey contract to design and construct an Automated People Mover system (APM) for Phase 1 of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. Awarded under the oversight of Dubai Aviation City Corporation through Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, the contract encompasses complete design, procurement, construction, system testing, and commissioning of the automated airside transit line. Within the execution framework, Larsen and Toubro will manage guideway integration, DC traction substations, power distribution networks, signaling, telecommunication systems, platform screen doors, and depot maintenance equipment, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries supplies the core transit technology. Larsen and Toubro is an Indian multinational engineering and construction conglomerate operating across global infrastructure and energy sectors. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese industrial manufacturing firm specializing in heavy machinery and urban transport systems. Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects is the specialized engineering authority responsible for master planning and developing Dubai's civil aviation infrastructure.

The contract award represents a vital infrastructural component in the multi-phase development of Al Maktoum International Airport, which is planned to become the world's largest airport with an annual handling capacity of 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo. Integrating an automated transit system is critical for large-scale airport developments to enable rapid passenger movement between terminals and remote concourses. The deployment ensures operational efficiency, reduces connection times, and supports continuous passenger throughput across expansive aviation facilities.

This development reflects ongoing public infrastructure spending across the Gulf Cooperation Council as regional governments invest heavily in modernizing transport corridors, logistics networks, and urban mobility. Aligning with economic diversification objectives across West Asia, major capital investments in aviation hubs serve to solidify the region's position as a central international trade and transit corridor. For the global railway and engineering sectors, the project demonstrates the growing requirement for turnkey consortiums capable of integrating complex civil works, advanced signaling, and automated rolling stock within tight execution windows.

For international contractors, equipment manufacturers, and infrastructure investors, the award underscores expanding commercial opportunities in Middle Eastern public procurement for large-scale transit systems. Successfully securing a core package at Dubai's primary aviation project strengthens the regional market presence of both consortium partners, positioning them to compete for upcoming rail and transit projects across the Middle East. Additionally, the project generates secondary supply chain demand for electrical equipment, telecommunication hardware, and specialized civil engineering services throughout the construction lifecycle.