The Dallas/Fort Worth area is already recognized as one of the top "airport cities" in the Americas.

The announcement was made Tuesday by DFW chief executive officer, Jeff Fegan, to coincide with the 2007 Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition in Frankfurt.

"DFW is a central force behind the growth of Texas into one of the nation's most prosperous and international economies," said Fegan. "Airports are a magnet for businesses and developments that cater to air cargo and passenger services, and with 18,000 acres of land, DFW has the unique ability to attract this growth while operating a world-class facility for travelers. Upon seeing the success of our airport, other airports around the world are now also seizing on this opportunity to bring new services to their guests and bring new jobs and businesses to their communities."

DFW is already home to several infrastructure developments arising from its close linkage to the aviation industry: massive air cargo developments; private warehouse/distribution centers; two 18-hole golf courses; a Grand Hyatt and a Hyatt Regency hotel, and a number of other corporate entities.

In addition to the business of aviation, DFW authorities have initiated a comprehensive land use plan to facilitate growth and capitalize on thousands of acres of airport property. Plans include new entertainment, hospitality, retail and restaurant areas, corporate campus developments and rail/transit centres teeming with commercial activity.

All land development plans are outside of the Central Terminal Area and a safe distance from DFW's seven runways, which assures no impact to aircraft operations.

"Our primary mission is to continue to operate a world-class airport that serves more than 60 million passengers per year and pumps more than $14 billion into the North Texas economy," said John Terrell, vice president of commercial development at DFW. Speaking at the Frankfurt conference, Terrell added, "Just as our new International Terminal D attracts new air traffic and revenue, these commercial developments will boost tax revenues for our owner cities and local communities help us reduce the costs of running the airport for our airlines, which makes us even more competitive in the global travel market."

About DFW International Airport
DFW "The Airport City" generates $14.3 billion in total economic output, is responsible for 268,500 full-time jobs that deliver $6.0 billion in payroll. It has 18,000 acres of land, of which over 6,000 acres are meant for third party development. It has over 700,000 square foot of planned retail/restaurant facilities in development. It has commenced work on 12 warehouse/distribution facilities involving over 4 million square feet, with another 2 million square feet slated for development.

Also available are over 2500 acres of land, designated as Foreign Trade Zones. It is the fifth largest metropolitan area in USA, with 22 Fortune 500 companies listed in Dallas and Fort Worth area commercial developments. It is the third busiest airport in the world in terms of operations and handled 60.2 million passengers in 2006.

It conducts 1900 flight operations daily that link 133 domestic destinations and 36 international destinations. 22 passenger carriers and16 cargo carriers operate 24 hours round the clock from the airports seven runways and through its five terminals. The airport has 174 gates.

It has registered 75 per cent cargo growth since 2002.