Dramatic changes could soon arrive at Dallas Love Field to accommodate passenger growth
DALLAS – Dallas Love Field may soon get a major makeover to accommodate the rising number of passengers.
Airport planners at the city-owned airport are looking at four main proposals and may select a combination of ideas from each of them.
From airline ticket counters to gate areas, parking garages, pick-up and drop-off areas, and baggage claim, the airport could soon look and feel very different.
Dallas Love Field is praised by travelers.
"Coming to pick up people at Love Field is a lot easier sometimes than DFW Airport because it's a little bit smaller, it's easier to find the people you're here to meet and parking is usually easy and accessible," Shiran Ben Simon said.
"It feels very family-like," Angela Garden said. "It's not a huge airport like DFW or like Atlanta or other airports. It's easier to navigate."
Its popularity with customers, though, is driving the need for more space.
At a briefing before a Dallas City Council committee on Dec. 3, an executive with Southwest Airlines, which helped modernize the airport a decade ago, said it's time for a re-do again.
"We're pushing more people through the building than it was designed for, and we're surpassing every forecast which is great news for the City of Dallas and for our business here," said Steve Cisneros, vice president of airport affairs at the airline.
Planners are looking to expand the baggage claim area. There's not enough room for passengers at the gates in the terminal, and more space is needed for bathrooms, shops, and restaurants. Most of the plans call for widening the passenger concourse by 50 feet. Alternative "A" is the most similar to what the airport looks like now.
But Alternative "B" would move airline ticketing and check-in upstairs from the security checkpoint and have a multi-level roadway. The baggage claim area would move to where the airline ticketing is now.
Alternative "C" calls for moving the ticketing, check-in, and baggage areas across the street from the main terminal to what is now garage "A."
Alternative "D" would not widen the concourse in the terminal, but instead, create more room for passengers by moving four gates to the area behind the existing baggage claim. The number of gates must remain 20 as part of federal law.
Other changes include a new rental car facility and the roads leading to and in the airport.
"I think if you come out the entry is approaching failure, and it's failed," said Patrick Carreno, director of aviation for the city. "So, we're working closely with the Department of Transportation, with COG (Council of Government) in this process to identify not just the entry but getting to the entry."
During the briefing, Council Member Cara Mendelsohn of District 12 cautioned planners against making any drastic changes.
"The key for Love Field is that it's highly convenient," Mendelsohn said. "You can get there quickly. You can get in and out quickly, and it's a positive experience. But if it's going to be difficult, or a long walk, it might be easier to go to DFW."
Passengers we spoke with agree and say they don't want a big airport.
"It takes away the easiness of the airport as it is right now," Garden said.
"It's not a lot of walking," Simon said. "This is a smaller, more intimate experience, so I'd prefer it that way."
No price tag has been set for this project yet. Dallas property taxes will not be used to pay for this. Airport passengers and Southwest Airlines will foot the bill.
No word yet on when the city will decide what the final plan will look like.
Airport planners are still in the process of discussing the ideas with stakeholders at the airport and in the community, along with customers.
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