DFW International Airport Supports Joint Business Agreement of American Airlines, British Airways and Partners

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- With a strategic business vision of 'Connecting the World,' DFW International Airport today applauded the joint business agreement signed by American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and Royal Jordanian Airlines.

The deal, subject to securing antitrust immunity, would open new potential routes from DFW to Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"The real winner is the traveler, who will benefit from expanded code share agreements, competitive ticket pricing and more global destinations," says Jeff Fegan, CEO of DFW. "We think the agreement has the potential to drive new international air service at DFW and easily connect global passengers through our Airport to new destinations. Plus, our local passengers will also have more opportunities to connect to the world, opening new avenues for business and tourism."

"At a time when airlines are severely challenged by fuel costs and capacity cuts, this gives them the opportunity to work together and share revenues and costs on transatlantic routes," says Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. "It's also terrific news for the North Texas business community, which can leverage these partnerships to develop new markets and expand international trade through DFW."

"We were delighted this morning to hear the news about this joint business agreement between these air carriers," said Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief. "Our world is shrinking, and that has a lot to do with the airline industry. This is an innovative partnership to integrate our international flights. Moreover, it's a big win for travelers who will reap the benefits of more choices and more seamless and convenient connections for their air service."

Currently, DFW serves 38 international destinations. DFW was the first Airport to win new flights under the United States-European Union "Open Skies" Agreement, which has brought North Texas new highly successful service to London Heathrow and Amsterdam.

If the antitrust immunity is granted, it could significantly strengthen DFW's case for new nonstop flights to each partner's European gateways.

Here is a list of the existing gateways for each of the proposed partners (Markets served as of August 2008):

    British Airways: London Heathrow; Manchester
    Iberia: Madrid
    Finnair: Helsinki
    Royal Jordanian: Amman

"American Airlines and British Airways both offer great service at our award-winning International Terminal D, and travelers tell us they truly appreciate the easy and comfortable connections out of that great facility," said Joe Lopano, executive vice president of marketing and terminal management at DFW. "All of DFW's geographic advantages come into play, we have a cost competitive environment and we have the capacity to add the service tomorrow. We'll look forward to working with our airline partners to determine what works best for passengers in the months ahead."

About DFW International Airport

Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world's third busiest, offering nearly 1,900 flights per day and serving 57 million passengers a year. DFW has been named "Best Airport for Customer Service in North America" by an Airports Council International survey of passengers in 2006 and 2007. DFW International Airport provides non-stop service to 135 domestic and 38 international destinations worldwide. For the latest news, real-time flight information, parking availability or further details regarding the many services provided at DFW International Airport, log on to http://www.dfwairport.com.