American Airlines invests $100 mn in DFW Central Fulfillment Center, new kitchen

Dec 10, 2019: American Airlines will break ground on a state-of-the-art aircraft parts distribution facility at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in January 2020. To improve customer experience, the airline will also build a new, larger catering kitchen at DFW. The total investment for the construction is $100 million and the project will take about 18 months to complete.

The construction project supports the first phase of development for DFW’s new Terminal F. This phase includes four new gates and customer areas located on the southeast corner of Terminal D and is scheduled to open in 2022.

The Central Fulfillment Center that will house aircraft parts for line maintenance support is expected to help reduce maintenance delays by providing parts from DFW to American’s global network. The 390,000-square-foot facility will enable the airline to fulfill request for parts up to 75 percent faster, minimising potential maintenance delays.

This project will also include a facility for cargo mail, a key revenue stream and narrowbody product for American Airlines Cargo. The expanded space will allow the Cargo team to optimizse fleet, network and market demands for transporting mail.

“DFW remains a great source of opportunity and growth for American. These investments will ensure we can continue to welcome the world to and through DFW for a very long time,” said Cedric Rockamore, American’s vice president of DFW of hub operations.

American will also build a new catering kitchen to support DFW’s current and future catering demands. The new facility will replace the existing catering kitchen, which was built in 1982 and is too small to support the airport’s growing operation. Construction on the new kitchen will begin in January 2020. The kitchen will continue to be staffed and operated by LSG Sky Chefs, the airport’s largest catering vendor.

“In addition to more space, the new kitchen will provide updated equipment and efficiencies to improve our catering operation, which improves our reliability and provides a better experience for our customers,” Rockamore said.

This year alone, American has expanded at DFW by adding 15 more gates and increasing the amount of flying to 900 daily departures. Additionally, the airline introduced a Flagship Lounge to serve premium customers travelling to international destinations. The growth is part of a larger strategy that will continue as American continues to invest in the operational efficiency and customer experience initiatives at DFW.

The Dallas-Fort Worth region is home to more than 33,000 American Airlines team members and the Robert L. Crandall Campus.