Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has presented its biggest holiday gift for passengers: a new, state-of-the-art rental car center and ATL SkyTrain, which began service today.

The new center gives customers instant, streamlined access to all of the Airports rental car companies and their associated operations in one convenient location: a 67.5-acre facility just west of the Airport. A five-minute ride on the elevated automated people mover, the ATL SkyTrain, connects passengers with the main terminal building.

The future has arrived. Our passengers will enjoy the speed and convenience of having all rental car operations, including customer transaction counters and vehicles, in one easily accessible location, said Aviation General Manager Ben DeCosta.

Hartsfield-Jackson is the first airport in the country to open a rental car center and its associated people mover system simultaneously.

More than 2 million passengers complete rental car transactions each year at Hartsfield-Jackson, so it was imperative to develop a solution to meet the increasing needs of travelers both today and in the future, DeCosta said.

Customers should follow these simple steps when renting cars at Hartsfield-Jackson:
•Pick up checked luggage at the north or south baggage claim area.
•Follow the overhead signs and hallway placards to the rental car center.
•Proceed out of the west end of the terminal under the covered walkway.
•Take the escalator up to the station and board the ATL SkyTrain to the rental car center.

The ATL SkyTrain also will benefit people who are attending events at the Georgia International Convention Center. The train stops there on its way from the terminal to the rental car center, making Hartsfield-Jackson the first major airport in the nation to be connected by people mover to a convention center.

The rental car center and ATL SkyTrain will have a positive impact on the environment as well as on customers. The ATL SkyTrain is minimizing Hartsfield-Jacksons carbon footprint by taking more than 125 rental car company shuttle buses off the streets. Removing the buses and reducing the number of rental cars on the roadways around the terminal also will improve traffic flow at the Airport.

The rental car center and ATL SkyTrain are major components of the Airports $6 billion-plus Capital Improvement Program. The City of Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson began planning the rental car center and ATL SkyTrain in early 2000 and started construction in 2006. (less info)