Completion of the $2 billion automated people mover project at Los Angeles International Airport appears to have been pushed back four months to the fall of next year.

That’s according to a bond rating document released earlier this month from Fitch Rating Service, one of the three major bond rating agencies. In rating $1.2 billion in bonds that had been issued for the project, Fitch said the “passenger service availability” date has been moved further out by 109 days to Oct. 17 of next year from July 1.

The automated people mover project is the centerpiece of the $5.5 billion ground access overhaul in progress at LAX. The people mover is intended to whisk passengers along a 2.2-mile route, first to a now-completed intermodal parking facility, then to a station connecting to the Metro K (Crenshaw-LAX) light rail line and finally to a $1 billion consolidated car rental facility now nearing completion.

Fitch cited documents outlining an April settlement agreement between airport administrators and the project contractor. Fitch cited issues with utilities needed to support the electrified rail service, as well as delays in obtaining the required permit approvals.

Los Angeles World Airports declined to comment on the Fitch rating report or the delay in the project completion date outlined in that report.

But the presumed delay may not be a bad thing. That’s because the Metro Airport Connector project – the aforementioned station connecting the people mover to the Metro K Line – isn’t slated to wrap up until fall of next year at the earliest. It’s conceivable both projects could be ready for passenger use at the same time, maximizing the opening milestone.