The mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth, the CEO of DFW Airport, and the CEO of American Airlines were all present to reveal a new decade-long plan and a fresh lease agreement with American Airlines. This agreement incorporates a pre-approved $4.8 billion investment.
However, the real headline-grabbing news was the plans to erect Terminal F by 2026, equipped with 15 gates, and an extensive overhaul of Terminal C. In addition, plans were laid out to construct a new pier featuring four gates at Terminal C and add a new pier with five gates at Terminal A, both slated for completion by 2028.
The Dallas Fort Worth Regional (later International) Airport was inaugurated in September 1973 and commenced operations for the first time on January 13, 1974. A few years following this, Ernest Dean, the DFW director, and Airport Board Chairman Henry Stuart traveled to New York to meet with American Airlines.
During this meeting, DFW officials made an enticing proposal to the airline. If the carrier would agree to shift its corporate headquarters to DFW, the airport pledged to build a new reservations center and corporate headquarters. The entire project would be financed through tax-free corporate bonds, which the airline could repay in lieu of paying airport rent.
Realizing the millions of dollars they could save by leaving New York, American Airlines found the DFW proposal irresistible. Thus, in 1979, American relocated its corporate headquarters to Texas and, in 1981, initiated its first hub-and-spoke flights.
Today, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport holds the distinction of being American Airline’s largest hub within the airline's global network. The airport contributes an impressive approximately $37 billion to the local economy each year. Currently, DFW greets over 73 million passengers annually, securing its place as one of the world's most visited superhub airports.
