Dallas Fort Worth Airport and American Airlines unveil expansion plans for US$4 billion Terminal F

USA. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and American Airlines have announced an agreement to accelerate and expand the scope of the airport’s new Terminal F.

Work is underway on the first phase of the terminal, which is scheduled to be operational in 2027. The new investment will more than double the originally planned number of Terminal F gates to 31 and add facilities to grow international operations.

This will include additional capacity for widebody aircraft, an expansion of customer amenities, such as additional shops and restaurants, and creating a single building for passenger check-in. Public art installations are also now planned.

The new plan extends the Use and Lease Agreement between Dallas Fort Worth Airport and American Airlines to 2043 and increases the estimated Terminal F investment to about US$4 billion. It will create what the airport describes as its “signature terminal experience”.

In 2023, the airport and airline reached a new 10-year Use and Lease Agreement with pre-approved capital investments, including the construction of Terminal F as a 15-gate facility which passengers would access from Terminal E via the airport’s Skylink system.

Future plans included the addition of dedicated areas for ticketing, check-in, security screening, baggage claim and parking facilities.

The airport noted that with a positive long-term outlook for growth in passengers and of North Texas, the Terminal F expansion programme will now include all the previously planned phases ahead of schedule.

In addition to a new centralised Skylink Station, Terminal F will also provide a walking connection with Terminal D, creating more access across Dallas Fort Worth Airport’s terminals.

The terminal’s new parking garage is set to be one of the airport’s largest with a design that includes built-in curbside circulation to maintain quick access to check-in and security.

American plans to occupy all 31 gates of the new terminal, creating greater operational efficiencies for the airline and an enhanced experience for connecting passengers, which make up about 60% of the airport’s passenger traffic.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom commented: “Moving forward with Terminal F in this way ensures that DFW and American maintain that momentum. DFW is American’s largest and most critical hub, and with this expanded plan for Terminal F, DFW has a clear path to become the largest airline hub in the world.

“Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and we’re excited that American and North Texas will continue to grow together. Terminal F will elevate our customer experience in a big way, providing customers with a fantastic new facility and state-of-the-art amenities.”

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport CEO Sean Donohue said: “In the last decade, DFW has grown its passenger traffic by +50% and exceeded the wildest expectations of our founders to become the third-busiest airport in the world.

“Thanks to our close partnership with Robert Isom, American Airlines remains a competitive advantage that continues to show the strength of the airport as a global hub that is supporting the massive economic growth of the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

With the funds announced for Terminal F, the airport’s ongoing forward capital plan now involves more than US$12 billion in transformational investments, either planned or underway.

This includes the approximately US$3 billion programme underway to completely reimagine and expand Terminal C, and the expansion of Terminal A.