American Airlines is building a new terminal at its main hub—and the construction project just got a major upgrade. On Thursday, the Dallas-based carrier unveiled enhanced plans for its Terminal F project at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) that will see the building double in size, offer new amenities, and be completed even faster than its original timeline.
American first unveiled plans for a new Terminal F building back in 2023. Those blueprints showed a 15-gate facility that would be accessed via DFW’s SkyLink train from Terminal E.
Now, the enhanced plan doubles the number of gates in the terminal and includes new facilities to accommodate more international flight operations, additional space for lounges and other premium areas, as well as a new customer check-in area.
With the construction improvements, Terminal F will have a total of 31 gates, all of which will be occupied by American. The additional gates will ensure more space for widebody aircraft, according to the airline, which usually operate longer international routes.
The expanded project also adds walkways from Terminal D—in addition to terminal transfers with DFW’s SkyLink train from Terminal E—so passengers have more options to access the new space. Additionally, Terminal F will now also get its own dedicated parking garage, complete with “built-in curbside circulation and an innovative baggage drop,” according to American. There will also be more space for state-of-the-art amenities as well as more shops and restaurants.
All told the enhancements will bring the project’s cost to a total of about $4 billion, American said. That’s a hefty price tag and a significant jump from the project’s original $1.6 billion budget. But it’s an expenditure that will likely pay off for the carrier, which plans to make this building a signature terminal. “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,” said American’s CEO Robert Isom. “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.
American also said that the new plans will accelerate the construction timeline, so passengers would have access to the new facility sooner. Construction on the terminal is already underway using the original plans. The building is slated to be complete by 2027, with the just-announced enhancements being added on shortly after that. The new plan has also extended American’s lease agreement for Terminal F by an additional decade, now stretching to 2043.
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