Alstom celebrates 2,000 days of operating the Automated People Mover System at Dubai International Airport safely

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Bahaa Omran

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19 December 2021 – Alstom UAE is proud to receive the Safety Achievement Certificate for the completion of 2,000 safe days, since the start of the passenger service in Feb 2016, by Dubai Airports Authority. This is an important milestone for the Innovia automated people mover (APM) system at the Dubai International Airport.

The APM system was reopened for passenger service in June 2021 after a 15-month halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, Alstom’s Dubai APM Operations & Maintenance (O&M) team maintained the competency of the people, performed preventive maintenance to keep the system safe, and ready to operate as soon as the airport reopened.

“Alstom’s Dubai APM team has achieved multiple recognitions for their work with Dubai Airports over the last year and I could not be prouder of the team for demonstrating their commitment to safety.

Tamer Salama
Alstom Managing Director for the UAE and Qatar

“Safety is a very important pillar in everything we do, and it is a critical aspect of operations that cannot be taken for granted since the repercussions directly impact the reputation of the airport. To see the team, achieve 2,170 safe days is truly inspiring and we are proud of their dedication towards securing everybody using the APM system at the Dubai International airport,” said Mohammed Khalfan, Vice President, Airport Logistic and Airfield Engineering at Dubai Airport.

“Alstom’s Dubai Innovia APM team has achieved multiple recognitions for their work with Dubai Airports over the last year and I could not be prouder of the team for demonstrating their commitment to safety. Dubai Airports is a very important customer, and we are pleased to be the operation and maintenance provider for the APM for the next five years. As the leading transport and mobility provider in the region, we aim to deliver the best-in-class safe and green mobility solutions to our customers,” said Tamer Salama, Alstom Managing Director for the UAE and Qatar.

The turnkey APM system to connect Terminal 1 to Concourse D was completed in 2016 by Bombardier Transportation. Alstom took over management in January 2021, as a part of its acquisition of Bombardier Transportation. The Dubai APM team successfully renewed the Operator Safety Certificate in December 2020, and in March 2021, signed an O&M contract with Dubai Airports to provide comprehensive O&M services for the next five years.

 Alstom’s Innovia APM system at Dubai International Airport has consistently been a top performer and has successfully delivered 99.87% average system availability and 5.4 million safe fleet kilometres. In addition, the project won MEED’s ‘Innovation and Transport Project of the Year Award’ in 2017 and was declared ‘Top Performer’ among all the contractors at Dubai International under the Health and Safety Index in 2018.

Alstom is a dedicated and long-standing partner of Dubai’s transportation and mobility development, with the “customer happiness” at the centre of our innovative solutions. Alstom delivered the Dubai tramway, the first fully integrated tramway system in the Middle East and the world’s first 100% catenary-free line, which was opened in November 2014. Alstom has also overseen the maintenance of the Dubai tram for a period of 13 years. In addition, Alstom, through the consortium, delivered the Dubai Metro Route 2020 with 7 stations including the flagship station at the Expo 2020 Dubai site.

About Innovia APM

The driverless Innovia APM is a transportation system specially designed to serve airports and dense urban areas. It offers quick, comfortable, and convenient service for commuters within cities, to and from airports, or between airport terminals. Innovia APM cars operate on a dedicated guideway underground, on ground level or elevated. This ensures a consistent service that does not interfere with surrounding road or runway traffic. Built on 50 years of successful and dependable operation, Innovia APM systems incorporate modern aesthetics and advanced subsystems for optimised functionality. Over 30 of Alstom’s APM systems have been delivered around the world and are in operation at 12 of the world’s busiest airports.

Alstom™ and Innovia™ are protected trademarks of the Alstom Group