Sumitomo Team Chosen to Build Automated People Mover At Miami International Airport's North Terminal

November 10, 1999 - Sumitomo Corporation of America and its long-time partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., have been awarded a contract to construct an automated people mover system at the new American Airlines North Terminal in Miami International Airport, it was announced today.

Completion date for the automated people mover (APM) project is 2004.

The total project cost of $109 million includes the design, engineering, construction, vehicle delivery and a unique state-of-art closed-circuit television monitoring system. The contract also provides for a second phase: operations and maintenance of the system. The so-called O&M phase will begin once the APM is running.

The Mitsubishi people mover system will have four station stops and carry passengers between North Terminal gates, ticketing and baggage areas. The APM's cars have rubber wheels and will provide smooth, safe, quiet transportation within the North Terminal.

In addition to providing construction and installation jobs for Miami's construction trades, the new APM will create a number of permanent jobs as well once it is operating on a daily basis.

" This is a modern APM system that has never been seen in the U.S. before," said Sumitomo's Gino Antoniello, director of transportation systems. "We are confident that it will be recognized as the smoothest running and most efficient APM in the country."

As congestion at airports has increased, the need to efficiently move passengers between terminals, and ground transit or mass transit options has become essential. Most if not all major airports have or are planning APMs.

" This people mover technology sets a new standard for APMs," said Antoniello. "It offers a smoother ride in large modern cars that will make getting around Miami International Airport easier for passengers. The system also offers enhanced security and safety protection for passengers."

The people mover cars and key operating components of the North Terminal APM will be supplied by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the world's premier manufacturers and a builder of APMs for nearly three decades. Mitsubishi APMs of the type planned for Miami are operating in Japan and other major Asian cities and airports. Their most recent installation is at the new Hong Kong Airport. Sumitomo and Mitsubishi partnered in all aspects of the Hong Kong APM.

The Sumitomo team in Miami also includes eight local companies.

The Sumitomo team won the APM project in a competitive bid process supervised by the North Terminal Development Team. The team included senior staff from American Airlines, Miami International Airport, HNTB, DAK, Corgan Associates Inc., Turner-Austin, and the consulting firm of Lea + Elliott.

The North Terminal Development Team also evaluated bids from two other companies, Adtranz, a wholly owned subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG and MKN (Marubeni, Kobe Steel & Niigata). Sumitomo was the low bidder in the three-way competition. The Sumitomo contract package also offered additional security options including on-board television monitors.

Sumitomo has 50 years of commercial management experience in bringing transportation systems to life. As a prime contractor, the company has developed, managed and delivered transit systems for the Hong Kong Airport, the Kansai Airport, the New York City Transit Authority, Chicago's METRA, Los Angeles' CMTA, California's CALTRANS, and the Maryland Mass Transit Administration. SCOA is headquartered in New York City since 1952, SCOA has offices in 14 American cities.

MHI has some 40,000 employees and is a leading manufacturer of airplanes, large ships, suspension bridges, electrical power systems and heavy machinery. In addition to APMs, the MHI suburban transportation division also manufactures monorail systems.

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