Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has started work on the $1.9 billion renovation programme it hopes will ensure that it is equipped to meet demand for the next 50 years.
DFW's four original terminals will undergo their first major facelift since opening in 1974 as part of DFW's ambitious seven-year long Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP).
Construction 'Phase 1-B' of the TRIP project began yesterday in Terminal A, with Gates A9 through A11 going behind a construction wall to begin renewal, along with one of the three parking garages in Terminal A.
"The construction on TRIP will involve a phased approach, with renovations impacting small sections of the terminal at a time in order to make the transition as seamless as possible to travellers," says DFW's CEO, Jeff Fegan.
"This work involves tremendous preparation, all of it with customer convenience at the forefront of our planning."
The TRIP project encompasses the renovations of Terminals A, B, C and E, and includes dramatic improvements for passenger services including ticketing, security and concessions. Plans also include the replacement of terminal systems such as electrical, plumbing, ventilation and other infrastructure.
Design concepts call for more concessions space and the consolidation of concessions areas into villages reminiscent of DFW's globally acclaimed International Terminal D, which opened in 2005.
The concessions villages will be located in close proximity to checkpoints and Skylink people mover stations.
The TRIP project is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs over the next seven years, including jobs in design, construction, and contracting work.
Current plans call for Terminal A to be the first terminal completed in 2014, and the entire TRIP project should be complete by the end of 2017.
"At the completion of the TRIP program, DFW will be one of the most advanced and efficient transportation hubs in the world, with new rail and highway access, and the most modern terminals and the most highly requested passenger amenities," enthuses Fegan.
"All of this work is designed to meet the needs of passengers today and for the next 50 years."
