American Airlines Pact to Boost D/FW Airport Traffic

March 4, 2004

American Airlines Pact to Boost D/FW Airport Traffic
Dallas Business Journal, TX


American Airlines Inc., the hub carrier at Dallas/Fort
Worth International Airport, may boost by more than
44,000 its number of annual departures from the
airport by 2007. 
  
The dramatic move, part of a tentative agreement
between the airline and the airport, would increase
American's departures from the airport by more than 21
percent and hike the number of seats American flies
out of the airport by 16 percent. 

In return, D/FW Airport would provide the airline with
financial assistance in the form of a larger portion
of D/FW's existing, federally authorized
$4.50-per-ticket "passenger facility charge," or PFC. 

In the post-9/11 environment, airports worldwide have
struggled with declining traffic, revenue shortfalls
and weakened bond ratings. At the same time, the
nation's major airlines have teetered on the brink of
bankruptcy, drastically cut costs and pared back
flights. 

Against that backdrop, American and D/FW executives
have signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU,
that was hammered out by D/FW officials including
Kevin Cox, the airport's chief operations officer;
Tracy Thompson, vice president of airport real estate;
and Joe Lopano, the airport's sales and marketing
director. 

American's team in crafting the deal was led by Laura
Einspanier, vice president of corporate real estate. 

"This deal is truly unprecedented in D/FW's history,"
said Thompson. 

The deal must be approved by the boards of directors
of both Fort Worth-based American Airlines and D/FW
Airport, widely considered the "economic engine" of
North Texas. The airport's annual local impact is
estimated at $14.3 billion, including a payroll of $6
billion and 268,000 full-time jobs. 

While no date has been set for either board to
consider the agreement, D/FW executives say approval
could come in 60 to 90 days. 


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