NTX Magazine Volume 3 | Page 72

feature story DFW Airport “Our new parking facility for Terminal A was designed with customer convenience and accessibility in mind.” Easy Access The new parking garage in Terminal A at DFW Airport directs drivers to available parking by a guidance system that uses LED lighting to identify empty spaces. The parking garage adds nearly 8,000 spaces to the airport. 70 Customer feedback was key in the design of the new garage, which is bright in both lighting and color design. Floors are flat, alleviating the need for passengers to climb inclines, and a high-speed elevator brings passengers directly to the terminal in just seconds. The 2.9 million-square-foot structure adds 7,793 spaces to the airport’s parking portfolio, bringing the number of on-airport spaces to 42,000. It also has more capacity than other existing parking facilities, making it one of the largest parking structures in Texas. “Our new parking facility for Terminal A was designed with customer convenience and accessibility in mind,” said Ken Buchanan, executive vice president of revenue management for DFW Airport, in a news release published by DFW Airport. “It offers energy-efficient lighting, state-of-the-art technology and way-finding, as well as dramatic enhancements in customer service.” Flying In, Flying Through DFW Airport is a first stop back in the U.S. for many Americans traveling abroad. To make that welcome home even more inviting, the airport will become one of the first in the country to introduce a new automated passport control system. Launched in 2013, 32 new kiosks allow U.S. citizens to experience faster re-entry times. Unlike other systems, the automated passport control system at DFW Airport doesn’t require passengers to pre-register with the system, making it available to all U.S. citizens to use. As an expanding gateway for international travel, DFW Airport is a premier aviation entry point into the U.S. and fosters growing markets in South America by supporting new and expanded American Airlines service from South American markets, including Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Lima. American Airlines also serves Buenos Aires, Argentina; Caracas, Venezu- ela; and Santiago, Chile, from its home base and largest hub at DFW Airport and plans to extend that service to Bogota, Colombia. As a trading partner with the U.S., exports to South America from DFW Airport are at their highest levels ever, with steady increases over the last three years. Texas is the largest exporter of manufactured goods to Brazil, including petroleum and coal equipment, chemicals, computer and high technology equipment, machinery and transportation equipment. DFW Airport serves the fastest growing region in the U.S. and is a magnet for business to North Texas. Twenty-three of the Forbes Global 2000 headquarter their companies in North Texas, and 18 Fortune 500 companies make their home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Several of these firms cite DFW Airport as an important deciding factor in locating their headquarters in the region. DFW Airport generated $31.6 billion in economic activity in 2013 for North Texas, according to an economic impact analysis conducted by the University of North Texas Center of Economic Development and Research. Reimagined Traveler Experiences Recognizing how travelers’ spend the time they have in the terminal is an important part of the guest experience, DFW Airport is reimagining options for this time with new retail, restaurants and amenities tailored to a wide variety of travelers’ needs. Whether it’s choosing something to eat, playing with your child, or getting