One of the largest airports in the world, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Airport officials are kicking off the celebration on January 13, but will be celebrating the the milestone throughout the year.
“DFW will enter its golden year in 2024 as the second-busiest airport in the world, built on a half-century legacy of growth, innovation and unparalleled support from the community and business partners we serve, along with our owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth,” DFW CEO Sean Donohue said in the company’s news release.
“On Jan. 13, 2024, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will begin a yearlong celebration of 50 years connecting North Texas to the world with an exciting range of special events, activities and surprises throughout the year,” the release states.
Less than four months before DFW opened, Dallas and Fort Worth officials and members of the newly created DFW Airport Board hosted several dedication events. Part of that commemoration included the landing of the supersonic Concorde jet on September 20, 1973.
“The event was the first time the Concorde landed in the United States, and put an international spotlight on DFW’s role in significantly advancing aviation infrastructure for North Texas,” according to the release. “Tens of thousands of people attended the dedication ceremony on Sept. 22, 1973, which included an air show and static exhibits.”
At that time, DFW was reportedly the largest airport in the U.S. Today, it stands as the second-largest by land size in the country and the second-busiest in the world, according to its website.
Meanwhile, the airport plans to begin a construction project by the end of the year involving the renovations of ramp and concourse levels, a bag claim carousel, and modifications to ramp level spaces, as reported by The Dallas Express.
DFW has been working on other infrastructure projects, including the Terminal D South gates expansion, the High C gates renovation, the opening of its Integrated Operations Center, and upgrading runways and taxiways. The projects, spanning about 850,000 square feet of terminal space, will be completed in phases, with an anticipated delivery date of June 2026.
In March, the airport plans to replace 20 elevators it uses to move customers among its five terminals to improve its Skylink system, The Dallas Express reported.
Skylink, a free rail train, moves customers between Terminals A, B, C, D, and E every few minutes at the airport, 24 hours a day. Each terminal has a Skylink station.
DFW offers flights to 193 domestic and 67 international destinations through 28 airlines, including American, Delta and United. More than 73 million customers reportedly enter the airport each year.