Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport is undergoing a major modernisation programme to deliver a new terminal along with significant improvements to some of its existing terminals.
Located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth in the US, DFW Airport is one of the most interconnected airports in the world. It is also the world’s second busiest commercial airport, serving more than 73 million passengers a year.
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The airport has five terminals, 171 gates, and seven runways. It handled 72.2 million passengers and 893,400 tonnes of cargo in 2022.
Use and lease agreement with American Airlines
In May this year, American Airlines, one of the largest airlines in the US, and DFW International Airport entered a ten-year use and lease agreement to continue the growth of the airport.
The agreement covers major capital projects worth $4.8bn, including the construction of Terminal F and refurbishment of Terminal C. The programme also includes gate expansions at Terminals A and C, as well as other major modernisation projects.
DFW Airport and American Airlines will also explore additional capital projects over the lease term, under the new terms of the lease.
The new agreement supersedes the one from 2010 and retains most of the business terms.
DFW International Airport modernisation details
The Central Terminal Area will be expanded, including a complete renovation of Terminal C. Pier expansions will be undertaken at Terminals A and C, while works will also include road and terminal access improvements. The estimated investment for the Central Terminal Area works is $2.72bn.
Terminal F will be built as the sixth terminal at the airport with a 15-gate concourse and an estimated investment of $1.63bn. It will be connected to an extension of Terminal D, namely Terminal D South.
The terminal expansions will add 24 new gates at the airport to support its long-term growth.
The new gates built as part of the Terminals A and C pier expansion projects will join the operating portfolio of American Airlines.
Other upgrades at DFW International Airport
DFW Airport officially opened Terminal D South with four new gates on the south end of Terminal D in May 2021. The integrated gate area offers new technologies and facilities to enhance the passenger experience.
The modernised terminal offers comfortable seating, visible flight information, intuitive motion lights, expansive media walls near concession stands, and interactive gaming areas.
DFW Airport also invested in sustainability initiatives such as View Smart Glass, as well as sensors that monitor thermal comfort, lighting, air quality, and acoustics. The four new gates at the south end of Terminal C, known as High C gates, were installed with View Smart Glass and environmental sensors in June 2022.
The View Smart Glass leverages AI to automatically adapt in response to the sun and controls natural light entry and outside views. It also provides protection from heat and glare while also reducing energy consumption and contributing to the airport’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.
The $115m High C gates demolition and rebuild project refurbished existing facilities and replaced the Terminal C extension to increase capacity for catering to existing and future growth demands.
A new prefabricated modular envelope was built for gates 33, 35-37, and 39.
Contractors involved
US-based architect HarrisonKornberg Architects and Spanish architect Luis Vidal+Architects were appointed as the designers for the Terminal F project.
The subcontractor for the project is US-based Lasco Acoustics & Drywall.
APR Aviation Partners was appointed as the general contractor for the new terminal project while ISC Building Materials was selected as the supplier.
In May this year, DFW Airport contracted telecommunications company AT&T to provide a comprehensive wireless platform for the airport to improve connectivity and critical infrastructure.
AT&T will deploy a private 5G network at the airport to meet the increasing demand for IoT applications and the digitisation of airport operations.
Multinational professional services company STV was engaged as a consultant for a pilot initiative involving a series of five electric vehicle (EV) charging demonstrations between May and August this year.
The demonstrations are taking place at various customer car parks across the airport. The initiative will enable the airport to experiment with various EV charging solutions.
