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DFW International Airport Ready for Airbus A380 As International Terminal D Opens

Posted on: Sunday, 24 July 2005, 09:00 CDT

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Given a strong mandate by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth to increase international opportunities for the region, DFW International Airport opened its new International Terminal D on Saturday prepared to land an Airbus A380 aircraft. DFW built its new international terminal and nearby cargo facilities to accommodate new, larger aircraft as part of its expansion strategy conceived more than five years ago. Now, the world's third busiest airport stands ready to handle the super-sized aircraft as soon as a carrier makes it available.

"We think it's appropriate that the world's newest international terminal opens its doors prepared to accommodate the world's newest aircraft," says Jim Crites, executive vice president of operations at DFW International Airport. "We will have the first and only terminal in the United States specifically designed and built to land and service this new era of jumbo planes. And as cargo and passenger carriers begin purchasing the aircraft we hope they will give DFW a serious look as a destination. And rest assured we will be prepared to greet them."

DFW's industry-leading design on International Terminal D and the Airport's legacy of size both play a role in accommodating the Airbus A380. When DFW was constructed more than 30-years ago, its runways were built to wider military standards. D/FW has three 200-foot-wide runways -- 17-Right, 18-Left and 13-Left -- that can handle the wider plane. Modifications to the Airport's taxiways would cost approximately $7 million. New cargo facilities under construction are also designed for the A380. And the Airport estimates a daily flight of 555 passengers would bring an annual economic impact of $500 million to North Texas.

"Our region has strived for international destination status for decades and the Mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth and our Airport Board have always considered international reach a vital part of DFW's mission for our communities," said Jan Collmer, a Dallas representative to the DFW International Airport Board who is serving his second term on the board. "It is important that airports of the world adapt rapidly to aircraft developments and DFW is highly adaptive. The A380 can bring this region billions of dollars in new tourism and business and create more jobs for North Texas, so it's good business for us to be ready."

The Airbus A380 was part of International Terminal D's design from the drawing board to opening day. Three sets of gates at the new terminal are sized to handle the super jumbo jet, and upper-level jet bridges can be easily added to allow each airplane to have three jetways for loading and deplaning passengers. Behind the scenes, D/FW fire and emergency crews have already begun practicing double-level evacuations and rescue procedures to become familiar with the procedures.

While DFW awaits the arrival of its first A380 from a current or new air carrier in the years ahead, International Terminal D will begin handling other large, wide-body jets immediately on opening day with facilities aimed at providing quick arrivals and departures for international travelers. Terminal D covers 29 acres and encompasses 2.1 million sq. ft. of interior space. For departing travelers, 99 ticketing positions as well as two check-in areas that can accommodate 37,000 passengers daily. Security lanes spread among three security checkpoints will allow screeners to process up to 1,500 passengers per hour.

For arriving travelers, there will be eight 100-ft.-long baggage carousels, with each unit being two feet deeper and 25-percent longer than average carousels. Each of the carousels can simultaneously handle baggage from two Boeing 777 transports, and the entire baggage claim system enables 4,000 passengers to claim 8,000 bags at once. In addition, the terminal will be capable of processing up to 2,800 people per hour in the Immigration and Naturalization Service's arrivals hall.

"International Terminal D is more than gates and glass -- it is a dramatic improvement in the international travel experience," says Clay Paslay, executive vice president of airport development at DFW. "Nothing is more important to international travelers than having quick, easy and secure entrance and exit to and from the airport. Every inch of Terminal D was designed to handle big planes with large numbers of passengers -- and to make it all as convenient as possible."

The new terminal opens as DFW continues to set new records for international passengers. The Airport will handle more than 5.6 million passengers in 2005 to 38 international destinations -- both new records for DFW. DFW is experiencing a robust 10-percent increase in international travelers from 2004's 5.1 million figure -- which was also a new record. And DFW continues to set records for its international cargo lift -- particularly to Asia.

"All of this bodes well for the A380 and DFW is ready," says Crites. International Terminal D & the A380 -- The two-deck, 555-seat Airbus A380 passenger plane has a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles, allowing it to fly nonstop between Europe and Asia. -- The three-deck-high, long-range freighter version, the A380F, will be able to carry up to 152 tons of cargo over distances of up to 5,600 nautical miles. -- The plane is 239 feet long and has a wingspan of 262 feet. -- The airliner was unveiled at the Paris Air Show earlier this year. -- First passenger operations for the Airbus A380 are scheduled to begin in 2006 with Singapore Airlines. -- FedEx and UPS have ordered freighter versions. 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 2,000 flights per day and serving 57 million passengers a year. DFW International Airport provides non-stop service to 130 domestic and 38 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 International Airport

CONTACT: Ken Capps of DFW International Airport, Vice President PublicAffairs, +1-972-574-8080, Kcapps@dfwairport.com

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

Source: PRNewswire

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