Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Many people assume that Houston is the largest and busiest airport in Texas but the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is larger and busier. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is named for its location between Dallas and Fort Worth and is the third busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft movement. The airport covers almost thirty square miles and consist of over 18,000 acres of land.

In 2007, nearly sixty million people were transported by the airport which makes it the seventh busiest airport in the world. The large amount of aircraft traffic that originates at Dallas/Fort Worth International makes the airport a huge economic engine in North Texas. Every day, over 164,000 passengers pass through the terminals of the airport.

It was 1927 when the city of Dallas approached Fort Worth with the idea of building an airport that both cities could use, however, city officials in Ft. Worth declined the offer. Fort Worth wanted to built its own municipal airport and did so on the city's north side. By 1965, both cities realized how economically efficient it would be if both cities shared the same airport. Dallas and Fort Worth came to an agreement on a new location for where the airport would be built. The airport would be on the county line which was an equal distance from the two city centers. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport officially started operating in 1974 and is one of the busiest airports in the world today.

The airport contributes greatly to the economic prosperity of Dallas and Fort Worth. The airport employs over 300,000 people and has an annual payroll of 7.6 billion dollars. The economic output that is attributed to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area from the airport is 16.6 billion dollars. In order to make the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport a more efficient airport constant renovations are always in progress. Currently, a $45 million terminal renovation is expected to be completed in 2009.

There are exactly five terminals located in the airport: terminals A, B, C, D, and E. Each terminal serves a different airline. The airport equips each terminal with multiple shops, restaurants, and services. There are over 100 specialty shops and retail stores where passengers can purchase books, gifts, clothing, and even electronics. The airport has over 120 food destinations and every imaginable palate is satisfied. Fast food, business casual restaurants, coffee houses, and cocktail lounges can all be found in the airport. There are other services available at the airport as well such as shoe shines, massages, wireless internet access, and play areas for children.

There are a total of 20 airlines that contribute to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Thirteen of the airlines are domestic and seven are international. The airport can accommodate travel to over 173 destinations. The airport's centralized location in the United States also makes it a popular spot for layovers and connection flights. Air Cargo transportation is another major source of revenue for the airpot. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport handles more than half of the air cargo in Texas and was ranked as the best cargo airport in the world in an Air Cargo World survey.