Now that I think of it, did he meant "not a vacuum tunnel"?
Or did he meant "not a vacuum tunnel"?
My first thought was "Oh, so it's the thing he said it wouldn't be, just above the ground.", too. :P
FTA: "In theory, this elevated tube system"
So, yeah. Not a tunnel.
The comparison to an air hockey table indicates the opposite to a vacuum. Air hockey tables elevate the puck by blasting streams of air up from the table surface creating a cushion of air for the puck to glide on. Perhaps by saying it is not a "vacuum tunnel" he meant it is an "air tube". :)
But then again, he also said he'd publish something about it within 4 weeks. Of July last year.