Industry Headline News

DFW Airport wants corporate jet business for 2011 Super Bowl

By Andrea Ahles

The Super Bowl in North Texas may be a year away but the DFW Airport staff is already making plans to capitalize on all the corporate jets expected to come for the big game.

At a committee meeting on Tuesday, staff outlined a $3 million project that would boost the airport's general aviation business. The airport would use the mothballed American Eagle terminal on the northeast side of the airport and renovate it and improve access to the terminal for corporate jets.

"We're still working on some of the business model aspects of it but we certainly think it will pay for itself," said airport chief executive Jeff Fegan.

The project would create another access road, renovate the interior of the terminal by adding furniture and creating an exterior entrance for the 28,000-plus-square-foot building. The new facility would be able to accommodate more than 70 corporate jets.

During Super Bowl week, 300 private aircraft are expected to arrive with 100 corporate jets parked during the actual game, airport staff told the committee.

Currently, the airport has a smaller general aviation facility that can support 30 aircraft on the south side of the airport. With about eight arrivals a day, DFW airport generated $1.8 million in revenues from general aviation last year.

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