The airport is hosting a year-long celebration to commemorate its golden anniversary.
Dallas - Fort Worth was different 50 yr ago . The two city anchored a growing metroplex , but towns like Arlington , Irving , Grapevine , and Southlake were n’t the thrive community they are today . Perhaps most notably , there was a adult hole where DFW aerodrome presently domicile .
That changed on January 13 , 1974 , whenDFW airport — or DFW Regional Airport , as it was called at the time — debuted as the country ’s Modern and most forward-looking commercial airport . It was an ambitious and strategic projection meant to fulfill the demand of speedy population growth and patronage exploitation in the area . It was also collaborative . In the sixties when plans got afoot , Dallas was already serve by Love Field , and Fort Worth had Greater Southwest International Airport . But the cities recognize the need for a larger drome that catered to the whole metroplex . Fifty years later , DFW International Airport is kicking off a yearlong day of remembrance celebration that includes events and activations throughout 2024 .
From Then to Now
When it opened in 1974 , the aerodrome became the world ’s largest airport by solid ground area and measured more than twice the size of any other airport in the U.S. It had four end , 66 gates , and three runways , and it serve nine airlines and welcomed 6.8 million passengers in its first year .
Today , DFW is the third largest drome by land area , it has five terminals ( figure six , terminal F , is set to give out ground this twelvemonth ) , 171 gate , and seven runways . It serves 28 airlines , flies to 256 destinations around the world , and persuade about 80 million passengers per class , make it the secondly busiest airdrome in the earthly concern .
“ North Texas would not be the national succeeder story it is today without DFW Airport , ” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson . “ The City of Dallas has grown tremendously over the yr in large part due to DFW , ” he tally , observe that the airdrome has benefitted the region through job creation and local business opportunities while also connecting North Texas to the rest of the world .
Courtesy Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
DFW Airport Anniversary Events
DFW airport recoil off the 50th anniversary celebrations on Saturday , January 13 , exactly 50 class after its debut . Travelers received special anniversary giveaways and commemorative merch , selfie station were place up in prime fix , and a 70 - era flash mob surprise traveler with in - terminal performances .
Passengers who fly on AA Flight 3589 from Little Rock to DFW arrived to a special H2O arch celebration and salutation at the gate in honor of DFW ’s initiatory inbound flight from Little Rock in 1974 . And on Saturday night , Dallas and Fort Worth skylines were fire up up orangish — DFW Airport ’s primary sword color — to show appreciation for the shared airport .
More fiftieth anniversary plans are in the work , so stay tune up . In the weeks and months ahead , the airport will share additional detail on the celebrations and surprises to take place throughout the year .
Space shuttle Atlantis, 1989.|Courtesy Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
DFW Airport Fun Facts
DFW Airport covers about 27 square Admiralty mile , gain it larger than the island of Manhattan . It has its own postal code code as well as its own fire , police , and medical departments . In other dustup , it ’s large . But it ’s also home to many firsts . Any major entity with 50 years under its belt is sure to have learn some thing , and DFW ’s purview is greater than most .
Before it even open to the public , DFW became the first U.S. airport to host the supersonic Concorde , which reach down on September 20 , 1973 . It was also the first U.S. airdrome to host a visit by a NASA infinite shuttlecock when Atlantis arrived on May 16 , 1989 . Seven geezerhood later , it became the only airport in the world with seven runways . And then , of course , there are the dinosaurs .
When excavation begin during the early-70s , construction crews break the osseous tissue of a 70 - million - year - old Plesiosaur , a 25 - groundwork long prehistoric reptile . ( The bones were on showing at the now - defunct Braniff pole for many years , but they ’ve since been move to SMU ’s Shuler Museum of Paleontology . ) So , the airdrome ’s been around for 50 twelvemonth , and that ’s deserving celebrating . But let ’s not forget that the area ’s first traveler range through at least 70 million year ago .
