Dallas Love Field

Dallas Love Field airport terminal entrance in Dallas, Texas

About the Airport

Dallas Love Field (DAL) is located approximately seven miles from downtown Dallas. In Fiscal Year 2023, DAL was the busiest medium hub airport in the U.S., serving approximately 17.5 million passengers. The Airport is globally recognized as a lead innovator of the airport experience and has been the frequent recipient of many prestigious aviation industry awards, such as ACI-World’s Airport Service Quality, ACI-NA’s MarComCX, and others. DAL is committed to maintaining a best-in-class aviation experience both now and into the future.

  • • 1917 – DAL opened as a military airfield

    • 1927 – DAL opened to civilian use

    • 1928 – The City of Dallas purchased DAL (167 acres)

    • 1940 – The Lemmon Avenue Terminal was built as part of the Work Projects Administration

    • 1941 – U.S. Army Air Forces used DAL for World War II flight training

    • 1958 – The Cedar Springs Terminal opened to airline service and was considered the most modern airport terminal of its time

    • 1974 – Dallas Fort Worth International Airport opened

    • 1979 – Section 29 of the International Air Transportation Competition Act of 1979, known as the Wright Amendment, restricted passenger aircraft (more than 56 seats) operations at Dallas Love Field to locations within Texas and the neighboring states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico

    • 1997 – Alabama, Kansas, and Mississippi are added to the list of locations exempt from Wright Amendment restrictions

    • 2005 – Missouri is added to the list of locations exempt from the Wright Amendment restrictions

    • 2006 – The Five Party Agreement between the City of Dallas, Southwest Airlines, the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board, American Airlines, and the City of Fort Worth was signed, citing agreement to seek the enactment of legislation to allow for a gradual repeal of the Wright Amendment over the course of eight years*

    • 2006 – The Wright Amendment Reform Act amended Section 29 of the International Air Transportation Competition Act of 1979 (Wright Amendment) through the reduction of the number of gates from 32 to 20 and the allowance of non-stop domestic flights upon Wright Amendment Expiration (eight years following the enactment of the Wright Amendment Reform Act)

    • 2014 – The Dallas Love Field Modernization Program (LFMP) was completed with the construction of a 20-gate terminal

    • 2014 – Wright Amendment Repeal (October 13, 2014)

    *NOTE: The Five Party Agreement remains in effect today

    The Agreement included the following conditions that are relevant to the DAL Master Plan:

    • Exclusion of international commercial passenger service

    • Maximum of 20 gates

    • The City of Dallas agreed to negotiate a voluntary noise curfew with commercial airlines

Dallas Love Field (DAL) Master Plan: Love What’s Next

Love what's next logo, heart with an airplane with an upward trajectory to signal forward progress

What is the DAL Master Plan?

The purpose of the DAL Master Plan is to complete a comprehensive airport study that identifies short-, medium-, and long-term (20-year) development needed to support future aviation demand. While the Master Plan will review and consider the future of the airfield, the primary concentration will be on the terminal facility and landside elements, such as curbside, on- and off-airport roadways, rental car facilities, and parking facilities. Airport support facilities and general aviation development also will be considered throughout the study. The Master Plan will define “what’s next” for DAL.

What are the objectives of the DAL Master Plan?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommends that Part 139 airports complete Master Plans every 7-10 years, recognizing the dynamic nature of the aviation industry. DAL’s prior Master Plan was completed roughly nine years ago, just after the Love Field Modernization Program (LFMP) was completed. Because the LFMP was underway during the previous Master Plan study, that study did not consider future terminal needs. As technologies have advanced, industry trends have evolved, and passenger demand has grown since the opening of the LFMP, the City of Dallas – Department of Aviation is taking a fresh look at the Airport’s long-term strategy. While DAL is constrained to 20 gates, demand has outgrown the original projections, so defining a plan to accommodate that growth efficiently, safely, and economically is in the best interest of both the City of Dallas and DAL stakeholders.

Why is DAL undertaking a Master Plan?

  • Plan future development of the terminal area through 2045

  • Incorporate the latest innovations and technologies

  • Meet growing passenger demand while balancing terminal and landside capacities

  • Optimize infrastructure and resources in an operationally, financially, and environmentally sustainable manner

  • Represent DAL’s future-looking vision

  • Engage stakeholders and community members to share information and promote public support

  • Maintain long-term financial stability