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American Airlines to Begin Operations Tomorrow at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport's New International Terminal

Posted on: Friday, 28 October 2005, 12:00 CDT

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines will usher in an era of easier and more convenient international travel to and from North Texas Saturday morning when it begins operations from the new international Terminal D at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The terminal officially opened in late July; however, the move by American, which together with its affiliate, American Eagle, has service to 35 international destinations from DFW, effectively opens the terminal to full operations.

"For nearly 80 years, American Airlines and its predecessor companies have helped bring the substantial economic benefits of air travel to the people and communities of North Texas," said Gerard Arpey, American's Chairman and CEO. "The start of operations from Terminal D is another important milestone in our area's history. All of us at American, and especially our more than 25,000 employees here in North Texas, are very excited about the opportunities for increased commerce and cultural exchange that this sparkling new terminal presents for our company and the entire region."

"It's been a great five-year partnership with American Airlines in building this new international terminal, and now North Texas travelers, as well as our international guests, will have full access to the most easy-to- use and efficient airport hub in the country," said Jeff Fegan, CEO of DFW International Airport. "This is indeed our region's new front door to the world, and we know it is already attracting new business and leisure travel from around the globe, which is great news for the North Texas economy. And we know that American's outstanding international service and connections will continue to expand to benefit our region, our citizens and our Airport for years to come."

American's first international inbound flight -- from South America -- is expected to arrive at Terminal D at approximately 6:30 a.m. CDT Saturday, where it will be met on the tarmac by a color guard, as well as a traditional water cannon salute from the DFW Department of Public Safety. Inside the terminal, arriving passengers will be greeted with Latin music and South American dancers. Various Consuls from South America will also be on hand to welcome the flight.

American's first international departure from the terminal -- a flight to Toronto, Canada -- will leave at about 9:10 a.m. CDT Saturday, following a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the gate with the Canadian Consul in attendance, along with Tim Ahern, American's Vice President of the DFW hub.

"Terminal D is truly a world-class facility in every respect that will provide our customers with impressive levels of comfort, service and convenience," said Ahern. "The modern and expansive structure reflects the vibrancy and stature of our region, and will enable American to increase international service to cities around the globe."

On Nov. 1, American will inaugurate daily nonstop service to Osaka, Japan, from Terminal D, while in February 2006 it will start nonstop flights from Terminal D to Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Guanacaste Liberia, Costa Rica. American currently offers nonstop service from DFW to a number of key international cities, including London, Paris, Zurich, Frankfurt, Lima, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Montreal and Tokyo. Last year, American and American Eagle provided international service to more than four million passengers from DFW.

Initially, American will operate approximately 78 flights a day from Terminal D, expanding to approximately 115 daily flights in the coming months. In addition, American's frequent flights to Chicago will allow easy, one-stop connections from North Texas to both India and China when the airline begins nonstop service from Chicago to those two countries. Service to Delhi, India, begins Nov. 15, while flights to Shanghai, China, start in April 2006.

Wherever they're traveling, international passengers using American's facilities at Terminal D will find an impressive array of conveniences. American and American Eagle will together have up to 42 ticketing positions and share 19 of the terminal's 28 gates. Three passenger security checkpoints with 14 lanes will help customers move through airport security quickly, while eight oversized baggage carousels will deliver luggage in a timely fashion.

Arriving international passengers will utilize an Immigration and Naturalization processing area capable of accommodating up to 2,800 people an hour, ranking it among the largest in the world. Connecting passengers will be able to make easy connections to American's domestic flights at DFW by using Skylink, the largest airport automated people mover in the world. And North Texas travelers will enjoy easy access to and from the terminal thanks to an 8,100-space parking garage -- one of North America's largest.

There are plenty of passenger comforts that are also available in Terminal D. American will open a brand-new 21,000 square-foot, 340-seat Admirals Club in the terminal -- its fourth at DFW -- featuring marble floors and floor-to- ceiling windows that overlook the west runways. And two 40,000 square-foot concessions villages in the terminal will offer an extensive array of dining, entertainment and shopping options.

"Over the last 10 years, demand for international service at DFW has led American and American Eagle to nearly double our international schedule here," said Ahern. "With our move to Terminal D Saturday -- and with all that this beautiful terminal offers to travelers the world over -- the pieces are in place to further propel American and the North Texas community on to the world stage. We eagerly anticipate the next 10 years."

About American Airlines

American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) regional airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3, 900 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld(SM) Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve more than 600 destinations in over 135 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation . AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc.

AmericanAirlines(R) We know why you fly(SM) Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed via the Internet. The address is http://www.aa.com/

American Airlines, Inc.

CONTACT: Tim Smith, Corporate Communications of American Airlines, Inc.,+1-817-967-1577, or corp.comm@aa.com

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

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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