IARO Upcoming Events
IARO’s forthcoming programme offers two important opportunities for members to meet, share expertise and promote airport-rail connectivity internationally.
The IARO 2026 Air-Rail Conference and Networking Meeting, hosted by Brussels Airport on 7-8 October, will combine site visits, presentations and panel discussions on high-speed rail connections, technology and systems integration, and airport design and development. Participation is free for IARO members, although advance registration is essential.
Registration Available HERE (www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/iaro-2026-member…)
IARO will then participate in Super Terminal Expo, Hong Kong, from 3-5 November. On Wednesday 4 November, IARO will organise a 90-minute Air-Rail Forum featuring presentations and a moderated panel discussion on airport-rail links. Members interested in speaking or joining the panel should contact Patrick at patrick@iaro.com (mailto:patrick@iaro.com) . IARO will also have an exhibition stand, available as a meeting point for members and stakeholders, helping raise the profile of airport-rail connectivity within the international airport and transport community.
Plans for Chiang Mai’s airport tram
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has presented findings from its study of a new electric tram system for the city – the Red Line – and if everything goes to plan, Chiang Mai's urban transport will look very different by 2032.
The MRTA will focus on the Red Line which will run from Mae Hia to Royal Park Rejapreuk. However, the full proposed route runs for 20.8 kilometres with 21 stations. The line will run above ground for most of the route, but there are plans for underground sections through the city centre and a stretch that passes directly under Chiang Mai International Airport.
An environmental impact assessment is currently underway with Cabinet approval targeted for 2027. Once approved, construction can begin in October 2028 under a public-private partnership model and the line should open in December 2032.
The line was announced in the Ministry’s transport plan in 2018, and received Royal Assent in 2019.
There was a brief mention of the project in IARO Express 323.
Sources Time Out (www.timeout.com/chiang-mai/news/first-t… ) and the IARO database
Luxembourg Airport’s €1 billion expansion plan prioritises public transport
Luxembourg Airport has released an ambitious long-term development strategy aimed at nearly doubling passenger capacity by 2050 in its Master Plan 2050. The plan responds to growing capacity constraints at Findel Airport, which handled over 5.2 million passengers in 2025.
At the core of the project is a major expansion and redesign of both terminals. Terminal A will be extended towards the present tram stop to improve intermodal connectivity and reduce walking distances for passengers. Terminal B will be completely rebuilt as a modern two-story facility, replacing the existing structure.
The development also includes a redesigned landside layout prioritising public transport, alongside the repurposing of the airport’s unused underground train station into a baggage sorting facility to boost handling capacity.
Airside infrastructure will see significant upgrades. Aircraft parking positions will nearly double from 27 to 53, with additional boarding bridges aimed at reducing reliance on bus boarding. The total investment is estimated at around €1 billion, with approximately €200 million funded by the state and the remainder by the airport operator. Officials emphasised the airport’s economic importance, noting it contributes roughly 13% of national GDP and supports around 90,000 jobs across the Greater Region.
While still at the feasibility stage, the plan signals a decisive push to position Luxembourg Airport as a future-ready European hub for both passenger and cargo traffic.
Plans for a rail connection to the airport go back over 25 years, with a heavy rail service planned in 2001. This was scaled down to a tram-train in 2002, but the project was cancelled the following year. In 2006, there were plans for both a light rail and a conventional heavy rail service, and a station box was built under the airport. Heavy rail (and its station) were abandoned again in 2013: light rail was approved in 2014. The first section of the tram was opened in December 2017, with the airport section opening in March 2025 (see IARO Express 620).
Sources Aviation 24 (www.aviation24.be/airports/luxembourg-l… ) and the IARO database
New Piccadilly Line trains
The new Siemens Mobility air-conditioned trains for the Piccadilly Line, serving Heathrow Airport, were originally due to come into operation last December.
The launch date is now likely to be December 2026.
In 2019, TfL ordered 94 new trains to replace the 1973 stock now in use: the first train was then due to be in service in 2024.
IARO Express 634 had an earlier report.
An airport bound Piccadilly Line train
Sources Financial Times and the IARO database
Airtrain Newark
A joint venture of Tutor Perini and O&G has been selected to build a new elevated structure to replace Airtrain Newark.
A comprehensive article on developments at Newark Liberty International Airport was in IARO Express 682.
Airtrain Newark approaching the interchange station on the Northeast Corridor
Source Tramways and Urban Transit
Future rail connection to Tunis–Carthage International Airport
A recent meeting of Tunisia’s ministerial council focused on monitoring progress on several major strategic projects expected to be scheduled under the 2026–2030 Development Plan. Among the projects presented was a plan to link Tunis–Carthage International Airport to the city centre by rail.
The Tunis Transport Company (Transtu) recommended carrying out the project in three phases.
In Phase 1, the line will run from Avenue de la République to Dora El Bahira, then on to Tunis–Carthage International Airport, a distance of 8 km. In Phase 2, a line will be built from Dora El Bahira to Le Kram Ville, a further 10 km. Then Phase 3 will provide service between Jardins de Carthage, Aïn Zaghouan and El Bahr El Azraq, a distance of 4 km.
To enable Transtu to ensure the availability of its fleet for operating both the existing rail network and the new line serving Tunis–Carthage International Airport, the company has launched a tender for the purchase of 30 new metro trainsets.
As part of the programme to promote urban rail transport, plans also include the refurbishment of 80 trainsets, heavy maintenance for 55 trainsets, and the acquisition of 15 additional new metro trainsets.
IARO Express 657 had an earlier report.
Source Tunisie-Numberique (news-tunisia.tunisienumerique.com/tunis… )