DFW International Airport Embarks on 8-year Terminal Development Program to Renovate Original Terminals

Four terminal buildings to undergo needed upgrades to optimize the DFW passenger experience

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas — Sept. 3 — DFW International Airport’s Board of Directors today began an eight-year process aimed at renovating the Airport’s four original terminals, by approving the first major expenditure for the DFW Terminal Development Program. The Board approved a $20.75 million package for the URS Corporation of Dallas to begin the preliminary design work for the renovation of Terminals A, B, C and E, which opened with the Airport in 1974.

Final costs for the Terminal Development Program are still in review, but initial estimates place the cost somewhere between $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion, with funding to come from bond sales, available capital and other sources.

The renovation project, which includes needed facelifts for passenger areas including ticketing, security and concessions, will be one of the most significant construction projects in the North Texas region over the next decade. Plans also call for the replacement of terminal systems such as electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, security, conveyance and telecommunications.

“While they have served us very well, our four original terminals are 35 years old now, and their internal systems need replacement,” said Jeff Fegan, Chief Executive Officer for DFW. “The renovation of these terminals is critical for the Airport’s long term outlook, because this project will keep DFW highly attractive to customers and cost-effective for airlines well into the 21st century.”

Current plans call for construction to begin in early 2011, just after Super Bowl XLV in Arlington. Terminal A will be the first terminal completed sometime in 2014, and the entire project should be complete by the end of 2017. The construction phase requires one-third of each terminal to be shut down at a time.

“A great deal has changed since these terminals were designed in the 1960s, including vastly different modern requirements for security and customer services,” said Jim Crites, Executive Vice President of Operations for DFW. “The renovated terminals will be very customer-focused, so we should see big gains in customer satisfaction as well as operational efficiency and revenues.”

Design concepts call for the consolidation of concessions areas into villages reminiscent of DFW’s globally acclaimed International Terminal D, which opened in 2005 at a cost of $1.2 billion.

“We certainly know that International Terminal D works extremely well, and passengers worldwide have consistently named it one of the top airport facilities in the world,” said Fegan. “We hope to apply what we have learned with International Terminal D to the other terminals, so every passenger who visits DFW will want to come back here time and again.”

The Terminal Development Program is a major component of the Airport’s current Master Plan, which also includes plans to accommodate regional rail service from both Dallas Area Rapid Transit and The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, and participate in area highway renovation projects and other major initiatives.

About DFW International Airport
Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world’s third busiest, offering nearly 1,750 flights per day and serving 57 million passengers a year. DFW has been named “Best Airport for Customer Service in North America” by an Airports Council International survey of passengers in 2006 and 2007. DFW International Airport provides non-stop service to 134 domestic and 37 international destinations worldwide. For the latest news, real-time flight information, parking availability or further details regarding the many services provided at DFW International Airport, log on to www.dfwairport.com.