New bridges, Terminal C progress: 12 Dallas Fort Worth International construction updates

Several projects are underway at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, including construction of the airport's sixth terminal and a new 5,200-space parking garage.

Mohamed Charkas provided an update on various construction and development projects across DFW Airport during an airport board meeting Nov. 5.

The executive vice president and chief infrastructure and development officer said that at any given time, there are more than 180 active construction projects across the airport campus, including the $4 billion Terminal F project, which will be the airport’s sixth terminal.

The project is part of a $12 billion DFW Forward investment with the airlines and owner cities Dallas and Fort Worth.

He said there have been 31 projects completed this year and more will be finished by the end of this year, or early next year.

“Things don't happen accidentally,” he said. “Things happen because we have dedicated people, board, executive, community and team members that make DFW successful and the envy of airports around the world.”

He stated there has been more than $141 million in commercial development, a 6% increase year-over-year and hotel revenue grew 4.1% year-over-year, despite the Grand Hyatt undergoing $34 million in renovations.

DFW Airport expects to have 87.4 million passengers this year and staff estimates there will be 101 million passengers in 2029, he said.

Terminal A

American Airlines and DFW Airport staff debuted the Terminal A pier with six of 10 gates open and the remaining four to open by the end of the year.

Charkas said the six gates took 14 months thanks to the use of modular construction. The construction on the airport campus allowed for 65% of the systems needed for operations to be added before installation. The new gates are A10, A11, A13 and A15.

Terminal C

Phase 1A of Terminal C will open in March of 2027, with construction 95% complete as of Nov. 5, Charkas said.

Terminal C is a $3 billion project and includes new glass windows, removing over 400 view-blocking columns and raising the roof. New shops, restaurants, lounge spaces, check-in areas, checkpoint areas and restrooms will also be added.

Nine gates for Terminal C, which is part of Phase 1, opened in June.

Terminal E

Charkas said that the restroom expansion in Terminal E will be finished in the summer of 2027. Work started in October to add two additional restrooms in the terminal for $10.2 million. He said a grant will cover $8 million of the work.

Terminal F

The first phase of $4 billion Terminal F expansion is expected to open in 2027, starting with 15 of the planned 31 gates. American Airlines will operate all of the gates.

Charkas called Terminal F “the crown jewel of DFW” during his presentation. He said the first 10 gates will open in June of 2027 and five more gates will open by the end of 2027.

A contract for Phase 2 of the ticketing, processing, garage and roadways for Terminal F was awarded to NEXUS for $66.83 million. Design work began on the project in October and has a 665-calendar-day term, according to board documents. Charkas said a groundbreaking will happen in 2027 and construction will wrap up by December 2030.

The project will include customer ticketing, processing and baggage drop-off and claims, curbside pickup and drop-off for customers, a parking garage with 5,200 spaces, an enclosed pedestrian bridge connecting the security checkpoint and gates once finished, but customers will initially use Terminal D for the services until late 2030.

The project will also include a vertiport that supports vertical takeoffs and landings. Joby Aviation recently did a test run on air taxis from Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport and DFW Airport.

Skylink

All six prefabricated modules that comprise part of the new Skylink Station in Terminal F were placed on Nov. 3. Constructed onsite at the airport, the modules weighed between 210 tons and 310 tons each, the latter the same weight as a fully loaded Boeing 777 airplane, according to a news release.

The eight-hour project integrated the new station into the existing Skylink system.

Parking garages

An $8.81 million rehabilitation of Terminal B started in October.

Gilbert May Inc. was awarded a contract with a 260-calendar-day term for work on stair towers, expansion joints and concrete repairs in the structure. It will also include work on electrical, life safety systems and waterproofing, according to board documents.

Charkas said the Terminal C garage will be operational by Dec. 19.

Terminal C garage demolition and reconstruction to six levels and 2,200 spaces cost $200 million. The work for that started in October of 2024, according to his presentation.

Roadwork

Phase 2 for the International Parkway bridges and light pole replacement was approved with Archer Western Construction for $171.73 million. The project had an estimated completion date of July 16, 2028, which will be increased by 609 calendar days, according to board documents.

Archer Western Construction had replaced the flyover bridges that access Terminals A, B and C. This is for ongoing work at Terminal E that requires a design for realignment of traffic for Terminal E exiting traffic, fixing ingress and egress for Terminal E and F, according to board documents. In addition, the work will modify the work on existing Skylink rail to Terminal F, allowing access to Phase 1A of the southern gates of Terminal F.

A $124 million project of replacing the left-hand exit to Terminal E with right-hand exits will be finished in the spring of 2028, Charkas said.

Public artwork

Contracts were awarded to various artists for projects in Terminal C and F, totaling $975,000.

Two local artists were chosen.

David Stout of Denton will work with Robert Campbell of Seattle, Washington, on a project in Terminal F for $170,000. Stout is a professor at the University of North Texas.

Gregory Ibanez with ISA Works of Fort Worth was awarded a $200,000 contract for a sculpture which will be in the baggage claim area of Terminal C. The artwork is inspired by the Trinity River’s path through Fort Worth, according to board documents.

The board approved $975,000 in work for the new Terminal F and $200,000 for Terminal C. The artwork is paid from capital funds and is part of the overall terminal construction budget, according to board documents.

Rental Car Road and bridges

Construction is starting soon on road improvements and a new bridge near the Rental Car Center, Charkas said.

The $14.7 million project is removing 175,000 square feet of road pavement and bridge maintenance. The project should be done by November 2027, according to Charkas’ presentation.

He also noted a new parking lot with 1,000 additional parking spaces coming to the DFW Remote South parking area on S. Airfield Drive. Charkas said the lot was being added to accommodate future growth and demand.

That $21 million project started in July and will be finished in July of 2027.

Security

The airport will be getting new security screening equipment that will replace the system which has been in place for 30 years, Charkas said. Phase 1 of updating the security checkpoint will be in place by May 2027. He said the updates will allow Transportation Security Administration workers to process more passengers faster.

Transportation

The board approved the purchase of 28 total buses for $33.39 million. The additions include eight 40-foot electric buses and 20 40-foot compressed natural gas buses from Gillig LLC in Livermore, California.

DFW Airport CEO Chris McLaughlin noted that the new consolidated busing contract went into effect Oct. 1 and has “gone well.” He said the staff had consolidated five different service providers down to a single operator, LAZ Parking. The Dallas-based company now oversees the operation of more than 200 shuttles, five bus routes and two maintenance shops, according to a news release.

McLaughlin said at the Nov. 5 meeting that in the next six months, the airport and LAZ will create a standardized fleet appearance, replacing the multiple-color scheme. A rollout will happen over the following two years.