What happening?
During a news conference May 1 inside Terminal C, DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue announced the airport and American Airlines have reached an agreement on a new lease/agreement term.
Donohue said Terminal F will have 31 gates and cost $4 billion to construct. In 2023, the airport and American Airlines announced a 10-year use/lease agreement that included $1.6 billion for the construction of Terminal F, with the original plan featuring 15 gates.
In addition to doubling the size of Terminal F, 10 more years were added to the use/lease agreement, which would extend to 2043.
Donohue, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker all spoke during the event.
“We have worked hand-in-hand with Robert [Isom] and his team over the past several months to re-evaluate the scale of Terminal F,” Donohue said. “From these discussions, we have agreed that there was a need to build more gates and to accelerate the long-term plans facing Terminal F; this is the best path forward for American and DFW.”
He said the discussion about the expansion started about six months ago and led to the announcement in front of hundreds of American Airlines employees and DFW Airport employees.
The details
Most of the plans initially announced for Terminal F in 2023 changed with the news of the expansion, which comes as construction is already underway for the sixth terminal at DFW.
Donohoe said that the original 15 gates have been under construction since late last year and they are almost completely built though the modular construction techniques on site. He said that saved 30% of the cost compared to traditional construction costs.
The modular construction model is also being used on the renovations of Terminal C and Terminal A, which will add 14 gates by the spring of 2026, Donohoe said. Those three projects are part of a $12.4 billion total investment in the airport.
The first 15 gates were slated to open in 2027; that timeline did not change with this news, Donohoe said. The entire project is expected to be done by 2030.
Terminal F will be fully occupied by American Airlines, according to an airport news release.
“It is truly going to be a signature terminal for American [Airlines] ... I think it will be better than any terminal in the world,” Donohoe said
Zooming in
Isom said this will give American Airlines the single-largest hub in the entire world.
Currently, American Airlines operates flights domestically out of Terminals A, B and C and has international flights out of Terminal D. Donohoe said that D will remain the international terminal, while other airlines that offer domestic flights will originate out of Terminal E.
The original plan called for Terminal F to lean heavily on Terminal E for people using that terminal to fly. Travelers would check in, go through the TSA security checkpoint and then ride Skylink from Terminal E to Terminal F.
Now, Terminal F will have its own passenger check-in, baggage service, security screening and parking garage, Donohoe said.
“It will be the signature terminal for DFW,” Parker said. “[It's] a $4 billion investment that importantly includes room to grow for international flights to get you anywhere in the world from right here in DFW. This new terminal will truly provide a world-class experience for travelers, rivaling the top airports in the entire world.”
Put in perspective
Isom said the additional use/lease agreement shows the commitment of American Airlines to the region for years to come.
He said American Airlines offers around 900 flights daily across the country that go to 230 destinations in 30 countries. Last year, American Airlines had more than 70 million customers, he added.
Airport Council International released total passenger traffic from 2024 April 14 and DFW Airport remained the third-busiest worldwide airport for the second year in a row. The airport had 87.8 million customers last year, up 7.3% compared to 2023
“Our strategic focus is to turn the operation here at DFW into an example for the industry,” Isom said. “It's our central gateway, our chief domestic and international operation. It's going to pay off our customers, for our team, our community and certainly our company as well.”
Isom said American Airlines handles 82% of the customers that fly in and out of DFW.
The takeaway
“This is the most consequential project at DFW in over 20 years—since we opened Terminal D,” Donohoe said. “I always call Terminal D the crown jewel of DFW Airport. When Terminal F opens, it's going to take that over from Terminal D.”
