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DFW International Airport to Host 2008 Airport Cities Conference

Posted on: Wednesday, 25 April 2007, 06:00 CDT

FRANKFURT, Germany, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, already recognized as one of the top "airport cities" in the Americas, will host the 2008 Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition in Texas. The conference will bring together airports from around the globe to discuss the dynamic trend in the aviation industry of land development and recruiting top business tenants to bolster non-aviation revenues.

The announcement was made today by DFW Chief Executive Officer Jeff Fegan to coincide with the 2007 Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition in Frankfurt.

"DFW is a central force behind the growth of Texas into one of the nation's most prosperous and international economies," said Fegan. "Airports are a magnet for businesses and developments that cater to air cargo and passenger services, and with 18,000 acres of land, DFW has the unique ability to attract this growth while operating a world-class facility for travelers. Upon seeing the success of our Airport, other airports around the world are now also seizing on this opportunity to bring new services to their guests and bring new jobs and businesses to their communities."

DFW is already home to several developments not typically found in the aviation industry: massive air cargo developments; private warehouse/distribution centers; two 18-hole golf courses; a Grand Hyatt and a Hyatt Regency hotel; and a number of other corporate entities.

Adding to the business of aviation at DFW, a comprehensive land use plan to facilitate growth and capitalize on thousands of acres of Airport property is being developed. Plans include new entertainment, hospitality, retail and restaurant areas, corporate campus developments and rail/transit centers teeming with commercial activity. All land development plans are outside of the Central Terminal Area and a safe distance from DFW's seven runways, which assures no impact to aircraft operations.

Dr. John Kasarda from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a leading analyst of the 'airport city' trend and agrees DFW is primed to become one of the world's leading examples. "DFW is a powerful engine for the Texas economy, boosting trade, creating jobs, and attracting considerable investment to its surrounding airport region," said Dr. Kasarda.

"Our primary mission is to continue to operate a world-class Airport that serves more than 60 million passengers per year and pumps more than $14 billion into the North Texas economy," said John Terrell, vice president of commercial development at DFW. Speaking at the Frankfurt conference, Terrell added, "Just as our new International Terminal D attracts new air traffic and revenue, these commercial developments will boost tax revenues for our owner cities and local communities help us reduce the costs of running the Airport for our airlines, which makes us even more competitive in the global travel market."

The Airport is also poised to develop its vast untapped natural resources. In October 2006, DFW signed a contract with an initial value of $186 million with Chesapeake Energy Corporation to drill for natural gas. Exploration is slated to begin by summer, and the additional royalties paid to the Airport will fuel capital expansion plans for decades.

"We are fortunate that the visionaries who conceived DFW gave their community a facility of the size and scale of ours, which is now primed to consider a full mix of development opportunities that are right for the market," said Fegan. "It's a win-win for our passengers, our local citizens and the economy. We look forward to hosting the 2008 Airport Cities Conference & Exhibition next year and showing our peers and colleagues the work currently underway and how it may benefit their airports and communities as well."

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 1,900 flights per day and serving 60 million passengers a year. Named as 2007's "Best Airport for Customer Service in the Americas" by an Airports Council International survey of passengers, DFW International Airport provides non- stop service to 133 domestic and 36 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 http://www.dfwairport.com/ .

DFW "The Airport City" By The Numbers Airport and Region * $14.3 Billion in total economic output * 268,500 Full-time jobs * $6.0 Billion in payroll * 18,000 acres of land * Over 6,000 acres of land for third party development * Over 700,000 Square foot of planned retail/restaurant * Commencement of 12 warehouse/distribution facilities with over 4 million square feet and another 2 million square feet planned * 2500 Acres of Foreign Trade Zone designated land available * 1.2 Million residents in Dallas - 9th largest city in USA * 687,000 Residents in Fort Worth - 19th largest city in USA * 5.8 Million Residents in DFW Metroplex - 5th largest metropolitan area in USA * 22 Fortune 500 Companies in Dallas and Fort Worth area Commercial Developments * Bear Creek Office Park - 1800 acres * Passport Park - 600 acres * Restaurant Plaza * International Commerce Park - 264 acres * East Air Cargo - 250 acres * West Air Cargo * Retail/Hospitality/Entertainment * Natural Gas - 18,000 acres Financial * $619 Million annual budget * $212 Million from airlines * $158.7 Million from non-operating * $248 Million from non-airline operating * $3.99 per thousand pounds of landed weight - landing fee Operational * 3rd Busiest Airport in the world in operations * 699,773 Operations in 2006 * 60.2 Million passengers in 2006 * 1900 Operations daily * 133 Domestic destinations * 36 International Destinations * 22 Passenger carriers * 16 Cargo carriers * 24-Hours-per-day operations * 7 Runways * 5 Terminals * 174 Gates * 75 Percent cargo growth since 2002 Hotels/Golf Courses * Hyatt Regency Hotel * 811 Rooms * 92,000 square feet of meeting space * Steakhouse, grill, lobby bar and coffee bar * Grand Hyatt Hotel * 298 Rooms * 34,000 square feet of meeting space * Gourmet restaurant, lounge and Coffee Cafe * Bear Creek Golf Course * Two 18-hole golf courses, 36 holes total Inter-modal / Rail Connection * Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) - coming 2012 * Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The-T) - coming 2013 * Inter-modal Train station located between Terminals A and B - coming 2012

DFW International Airport

CONTACT: Ken Capps, Vice President Public Affairs of DFW InternationalAirport, +1-972-973-5555, or Kcapps@dfwairport.com

Web site: http://www.dfwairport.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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