DFW Delegation Promotes Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport as Leading U.S. Gateway for South America

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) officials and a delegation of civic and business leaders from Dallas and Fort Worth are visiting South America to strengthen ties between the regions and promote DFW as the premier aviation entry point into the United States. The DFW Airport air service development mission runs from June 2 to 11 with stops in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Lima, Peru, and supports new and expanded American Airlines service to South America to begin this month. Leaders from DFW Airport will also be in Brasilia, Brazil speaking at the US-Brazil Aviation Dialogue airport certification conference.

The 25-member DFW delegation, co-led by Mayor Mike Rawlings of the City of Dallas and Mayor Betsy Price of the City of Fort Worth, along with DFW Board of Directors Member Bernice J. Washington, DFW Executive Vice President Phil Ritter, and leaders from the Dallas Regional Chamber, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, will meet with various government, business and civic representatives.

“There’s no better way to develop international business ties than with new airline service to DFW, and there’s no better place to do business than the Dallas/Fort Worth area,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “Through this air service development mission, our delegation will help bring more economic development to our cities, and will strengthen the ties between Dallas and Fort Worth and our neighbors in South America, both in Brazil and Peru.”

In April American Airlines started daily nonstop service from DFW to Lima, Peru and on June 14 is expanding its service from DFW to Sao Paulo, Brazil from 7 to 12 flights per week. In addition to the Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil service, the airline also serves Buenos Aires, Argentina, Caracas, Venezuela, and Santiago, Chile from its home base and largest hub at DFW. American Airlines also plans to expand service in South America later in 2013 with new service from DFW to Bogota, Colombia.

“We certainly appreciate American Airlines for its commitment to expanding international service from DFW to South America,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. “This air service development mission gives us a chance to share our experiences in industries where we have mutual interests, like energy, logistics and transportation. What's more, it gives North Texans a chance to show off that special hospitality that visitors won't find anywhere else. Our region offers a tremendous business climate and a great place to visit, with world class shopping, museums and attractions.”

DFW Airport has become one of the world’s most highly regarded airports. For seven straight years, Airports Council International has ranked DFW as one of the top-ten large airports in the world for customer satisfaction based on surveys of thousands of international travelers.

“DFW’s status as a top tier global airport creates a very positive experience for international travelers,” said Bernice J. Washington, Member of the DFW International Airport Board of Directors. “As one of only seven airports in the world with over 200 direct destinations, and with one of the most efficient customs and immigration processes in the U.S., the DFW hub provides great convenience to travelers entering the United States, or even connecting to markets beyond DFW, including markets in Asia and Europe."

DFW ranks as the fourth busiest airport in the world in terms of flight operations. The Airport’s central location in the United States means travelers are no more than a four-hour flight away from every major city in North America (USA, Canada & Mexico), Latin America and the Caribbean.

“With a record run of new routes and new airlines over the last 30 months, DFW Airport offers more options for travelers and we project we will add another 24 international routes over the next five years,” said Phil Ritter, DFW Executive Vice President. “As a result of this expansion in air service, we see great potential for the South American business and tourism communities to grow customers and revenue in North America, and to use our region and our airport as a base and connecting point to expand their business in the United States and beyond.”

“Passenger traffic between DFW and South America continues to grow as a result of growing economies in South America. For example, passenger traffic between DFW and Rio de Janeiro has doubled over the last five years and Sao Paulo passenger traffic has grown by a third over the last 12 months,” said Ritter. “The new Lima nonstop service begun in April should further stimulate the Lima market. And, for travelers from South America to Asia, DFW is already the premier connecting point of choice. The newly launched American Airlines DFW-Seoul nonstop service provides even more convenience for these travelers,” said Ritter.

As a trading partner with the U.S., exports to South America from DFW are at their highest levels ever, progressively increasing over the last three years.

“DFW’s air cargo trade with South America is driven by exports with 65 percent of exports in the categories oil field equipment, industrial goods and electrical equipment,” said Ritter.

Key imports account for 50 percent of products to DFW and include food and food products, automotive components and products and consumer goods.

Brazil is the fourth largest export market for the state of Texas with more than $10 billion (USD) in exports in 2012. Texas is also 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. Texas is home to 52 of the Forbes Global 2000 headquarters, 23 of these in the DFW area, and 18 Fortune 500 company headquarters make their home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Several of these firms cite DFW International Airport as a deciding factor in locating their headquarters in North Texas.

DFW Airport sits at the crossroads of five major US interstates with access to the top 50 markets in America within one day’s drive. As the 29th largest cargo hub in the world, DFW is a transportation and logistics center with 17 cargo airlines serving 17 major cargo markets around the world. 

(re)defining DFW International Airport

DFW International Airport’s $2.3 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP) is (re)defining first class for this global gateway. For the latest details regarding TRIP, log on to www.dfwairport.com/redefine.