Ground has broken on a sixth passenger terminal at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), a project expected to cost $1.6 billion and open to the public in 2027.
The new Terminal F will have 15 gates and shopping and dining locations across 400,000 square feet. A new station will be added to DFW’s Skylink light rail system to connect the terminal to the rest of the airport.
Photo: Courtesy of Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
However, Terminal F won’t have its own check-in desks, security checkpoint, or baggage claim.
Instead, passengers will complete those tasks at Terminal E before taking the Skylink train one stop to Terminal F and finding their gates. To accommodate this additional traffic, the project will also add 100,000 square feet to Terminal E’s check-in, security, and baggage areas.
Accommodating More Traffic
The construction of a new terminal comes in response to growing traffic at DFW. The airport welcomed 81.8 million passengers in 2023, up 11.7 percent from last year and making the airport the world’s third busiest, following Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Dubai International Airport (DXB).
“The new Terminal F will expand the airport’s footprint with state-of-the-art facilities that align with our first-in-class customer experience and operation as we support the historic rise in air travel to and from the North Texas region,” said Sean Donohue, CEO of the airport.
Photo: American Airlines gates. Courtesy of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas mayor Eric L. Johnson added: “This new terminal will be another important gateway to our thriving city, enhancing and growing connectivity to and from Dallas. I’m thrilled to watch this monumental project come to life and expand one of Dallas’ greatest assets as we prepare for even more historic growth in air travel and throughout our region.”
Unique Modular Building
To limit costs and disruption to those millions of travelers, DFW is using an innovative modular construction method, which it first used to reconstruct five gates of Terminal C two years ago.
Some parts of Terminal F will be constructed on a prefabrication site and later moved across the airfield and into place at the final terminal site, the former location of the Express South parking lot. With major construction occurring simultaneously on two sites, the project will be completed in under three years.
The design of Terminal F also means additional gates and supporting facilities could be added at a later date, future-proofing the airport for further growth.
Continuous Growth
Terminal F is the first new terminal to be added to DFW since 2005 when the $1.2 billion Terminal D became the largest international terminal to open following 9/11 and became a vote of renewed confidence in American air travel.
The project is just part of DFW’s ambitious $9 billion capital improvements plan, which includes a $3 billion ongoing rebuild of Terminal C, the airport’s busiest, and adding nine gates to Terminal A.
Photo: Courtesy of Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said her city, one of the fastest growing in the country, is “excited to prepare for the future with DFW Airport, further connecting the DFW Metroplex with the world.”
“We look forward to supporting a bigger and better DFW Airport that will bring even more opportunities for our communities and travelers,” she added.
Construction is unlikely to impact the more than three million travelers expected to pass through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport during the week of Thanksgiving.
