DFW International Airport’s Two Newest International Destinations - Panama, Turks and Caicos - Bring Tropical Dreams to Winter Cold

(DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – Dec. 13, 2007) – DFW International Airport begins service to two new non-stop international destinations today with the addition of American Airlines flights to Panama City, Panama as well as Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. The new cities push the number of DFW’s international destinations to 39, an increase of 62 percent over the past five years.

“Panama City brings a valuable business destination and an expanding leisure destination, and Providenciales is an outstanding Caribbean destination,” said Jeff Fegan, CEO at DFW. “American’s growth in Latin America reflects the growing market from DFW to destinations in the central and southern hemisphere, and it shows DFW’s ongoing commitment to bring North Texas passengers a wide range of choices for international travel.” 

The addition of two new destinations marks the end of a busy 2007 for DFW, which also included new service to Mazatlán this spring and the announcement of new service to Amsterdam and London’s Heathrow Airport for next year. Adding four new international destinations in a single year and boosting the Airport's global destination total to 39 are both DFW records.  

“These new routes represent significant new additions to our DFW network,” said Henry Joyner, American’s Senior Vice President – Planning. “We’re committed to providing our customers with important new choices at our largest hub, as well as operating routes that make the most sense for our airline.” 

American’s service to Panama City begins today with four flights a week, and the airline will connect DFW and Providenciales once a week on Saturdays beginning this weekend. American will service both cities with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which feature 148 seats and two classes of service. 

“The addition of new service like Panama and Turks and Caicos really broadens options for travelers headed toward southern destinations, and the new service to Amsterdam and Heathrow next spring will bring DFW two new amazing international connecting hubs,” said Joe Lopano, executive vice president for marketing and terminal management at DFW. “North Texas passengers will find availability to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India that has never been available before.” 

DFW has made a continuing push in Europe, Asia and South America to broaden and strengthen the Airport’s network to the world’s major international cities. DFW now has easy non-stop or one-stop connections to virtually anywhere in the world. 

“We are aiming for new international service to South America and Asia in a broad array of efforts, including the new “Visit DFW” program we launched recently with the Convention and Visitors Bureaus from Dallas and Fort Worth,” continued Lopano. “North Texas has benefited immensely over the past decade from growth in international service to destinations around the globe, and we are working to bring even more international connections to our area.”

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