Frankfurt Airport has presented the first vehicle for its new Sky Line people mover, which will link Terminal 1 with the new Terminal 3 when it opens. The new transportation system will have the capacity for 4,000 passengers per hour and direction, with a travel time of eight minutes between the terminals. The first test trips are scheduled for 2023.
The first of a total of 12 vehicles has been supplied from Siemens Mobility’s factory in Vienna, and was presented to the public by Dr Stefan Schulte, Executive Board Chairman, Fraport AG, on 3 November 2022.
“I’m very pleased to present part of Frankfurt Airport’s future today,” said Schulte. “The new Sky Line will integrate Terminal 3 into the existing airport infrastructure. And the arrival of this first vehicle marks yet another important milestone in the overall project. We are deploying state-of-the-art technology and intelligent construction methods to implement our vision of a futuristic airport terminal. Travellers, guests, and employees can all look forward to short paths, high frequencies, and outstanding levels of comfort and convenience.”
The new Sky Line supplements the existing transportation system between terminals 1 and 2. The new driverless system will operate fully automatically around the clock.
Fraport AG’s special requirements for the new Sky Line people mover include a large number of folding seats to ensure that passengers always have enough space for their luggage, as well as specially-designed grab bars that allow greater freedom of movement. When the system is completed, the vehicles will run on angled wheels surrounding a guide rail mounted on a concrete surface.
“The delivery of the first fully automated vehicle marks an important milestone in the construction of the new Sky Line,” said Albrecht Neumann, CEO for Rolling Stock at Siemens Mobility. “Going forward, these conveyances will efficiently, comfortably, and sustainably carry passengers to and from the new terminal. The trains are based on our proven Val solution, which is already in use worldwide, including at airports in Bangkok and Paris.”
