LAX plans 140% hike on surcharge for taxis, Uber, Lyft
New airport access fees are expected to land once the Automated People Mover opens this year.
By Staff Writers, March 16 2026
This year’s opening of the long-awaited Automated People Mover (APM) shuttle at LAX could see a whopping 140% increase in the airport access fee charged for taxis and rideshare vehicles.
The APM is a Changi Airport-style driverless shuttle which will connect all eight terminals to dedicated transit and car-rental centres, along with the city’s Metro network, within the LAX precinct.
Now reported to start running in the second half of this year – well after the original 2023 timetable – the rubber-wheeled trains will arrive every two minutes during peak periods, with an end-to-end journey time of around 10 minutes on 3.6km elevated track.
The LAX APM is intended to not only make life more convenient for travellers but smash the airport’s notorious traffic congestion problems.
But those wins will come at a cost for travellers who rely on road rather than rail.
The airport’s Board of Airport Commissioners is considering a proposal to lift the current US$5 (A$7) access fee for taxis, rideshare cars and other commercial vehicles to as much as US$12 (A$17) once the APM is opened.
The increased fees would serve to both reduce congestion and fund airport upgrades, with estimates the new fees could generate up to US$100 million per year.
