Alstom will deliver an upgrade to the automated people mover (APM) system at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as part of the airport’s plan to grow to 114 million passengers by 2030. 

The rail manufacturer will carry out a full system upgrade of the Innovia APM system at the airport’s Terminal 1, which was installed in 2020, and add four new cars to the network’s fleet of 10 vehicles to increase capacity by what it said would be around 90%. 

Mohamed Khalil, managing director of Alstom in Saudi Arabia, said the upgrades to the system were a “crucial element” of the airport’s desire to increase passenger volumes as part of the country’s Vision 2030 programme. 

He said: “Alstom's mission to bolster the Jeddah Airport Company's (JEDCO) operational efficiency shines through this project, reinforcing our pledge to be a resilient, long-term partner in the region's remarkable evolution.” 

Upgrades to the system will include the establishment of a new operation control room and improvements for the signalling, communication and cybersecurity systems as well as the installation of platform screen doors and the retrofitting of new motion recording video systems to the 10 cars already on the system. 

The contract builds on Alstom’s previous agreements with JEDCO which saw the two companies sign a five-year contract in 2022 for the operation and maintenance of the system, which was installed by Bombardier before it was bought by Alstom.

Jeddah's commitment to the APM will also be welcomed by Alstom which has been looking to expand its presence in the Middle East through projects such as the introduction of the region's first hydrogen-powered train with Saudi Arabia Railways and continued support of the Innovia APM system at Dubai International Airport.

The company has also been carrying out a range of modernisation projects to the Innovia APM systems it inherited with the Bombardier acquisition, including a contract with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, to upgrade its Skylink system.