American Airlines and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) today debuted the brand-new Terminal C pier, a significant milestone in the historic transformation of American’s largest and most important hub. The new Terminal C pier features nine new electronic boarding gates, equipped with industry-leading technology, and elevates the customer experience with new concessions, seating, restrooms and a spacious, modern design, representing the future of Terminal C.
“DFW is central to our global operation and the historic investments we are making to modernize and expand our terminal facilities in partnership with DFW Airport will continue to enhance the customer experience and make way for future growth,” said American’s Senior Vice President of DFW Operations Jim Moses. “The opening of the new pier provides a preview of what customers can expect from the ongoing transformation at DFW, showcasing American’s Forever ForwardSM mindset as we look to the future. The expansion also arrives just in time to serve our customers during what’s going to be a landmark summer.”
The new Terminal C pier was built over the past two years, using a modular construction technique to reduce operational impact and expedite construction timelines. The pier expansion delivers four net-new gates, as well as five gates that were rebuilt as part of the project. The gates were constructed in a pier configuration to maximize capacity.
First major milestone in historic plan to expand and modernize DFW
Terminal C, which is American’s busiest terminal at DFW, will be entirely rebuilt over the next several years as part of the plan underway to expand and modernize the airline’s largest hub. The new gates provide customers a more spacious, modern experience with new light-enhancing energy-efficient windows and high ceilings, giving customers an early look at the future Terminal C.
“Our centennial year has served as an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on 100 years of establishing and growing our footprint across the world, with DFW at the epicenter of that growth throughout the past five decades,” said American’s Vice President of Corporate Real Estate Amanda Zhang. “In partnership with DFW Airport, we are forging the path forward by redefining the way we prepare for the future and designing facilities to further enhance the customer experience. With even more on approach through our multi-billion-dollar plan to expand DFW, we are positioning our hometown hub to continue fueling growth for North Texas and American.”
The pier expansion coincides with the first of three phases of the Terminal C reconstruction and expansion project, which will reimagine the terminal’s existing footprint from terminal door to aircraft door. The project is completely rebuilding the terminal, which will include brand-new check-in, security, baggage handling facilities, as well as other amenities important to customers like restrooms, art installations and restaurant and retail concessions. A complete reconstruction of the adjacent south section of the parking garage is also underway, which will deliver more parking to accommodate the growth in gates.
“Terminal C represents the future of DFW taking shape in real time,” said Chris McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer of DFW Airport. “As we prepare to welcome summer travelers and global visitors to North Texas, customers are beginning to see years of planning and investment come to life. Together with American Airlines, we are modernizing one of our most important facilities while building the capacity and customer experience needed to serve the next generation of travel.”
Terminal C — the workhorse of DFW
- Terminal C is 52 years old and is one of the original terminals at DFW.
- Terminal C is American’s busiest terminal at DFW, averaging nearly 200 departures per day* so far during this year’s record-breaking summer schedule.
- If Terminal C were a standalone hub, it would be the fifth largest hub in American’s network by departures*.
- Once the full reconstruction project is complete, Terminal C will be home to 32 gates with a footprint of more than 1 million square feet of facilities.
*As measured by mainline departures.
A similar pier-style expansion is also underway at Terminal A, which is set to open later this year with 10 total gates, driving a net gain of five gates to another one of American’s terminals. Next year, American will open the first phase of Terminal F, the airline’s sixth terminal at DFW. The terminal will deliver a brand-new terminal experience at DFW with 31 gates served by American.
From new customer-centric designs to innovative technology, more gates to completely transformed facilities, the extensive plan at DFW is set to redefine the travel experience for American’s customers flying to, from or through the global hub.
Enhancing the customer experience at American’s flagship hub
Beyond construction, American has made several other notable investments that reinforce its commitment to a more seamless travel experience for customers.
- Largest airport schedule transformed: DFW has an outsized impact across American. In April, American transformed its schedule from a nine to 13-bank operation, spreading customers and flights throughout the day. The new bank structure has already brought measurable improvements in on-time arrivals and departures, customer connections and baggage handling at DFW and across American’s global network — which is being reflected in positive customer responses and notable improvements in the airline’s Net Promoter Score.
- First airline to introduce electronic boarding gates at scale: American is also the first airline to install dormakaba electronic boarding gates at scale at a major U.S. hub. The new technology — debuting in the Terminal C pier — is another opportunity for American to simplify its customers’ boarding experience while enhancing the airline’s already rigorous security standards.
- Faster and easier customer processing: Several programs are reimagining the customer journey at DFW, including One Stop Security, Enhanced Passenger Processing, Mobile Passport Control and TSA PreCheck® Touchless ID. Customers taking advantage of these initiatives are making travel faster and easier at security checkpoints and during customs processing. American continues to work with federal partners to test, develop and deploy new programs intended to improve the travel experience — from departure to arrival.
American’s operation at DFW by the numbers
- More than 67 million customers cared for in 2025
- 930 peak daily departures this summer
- Nonstop access to more than 230 destinations
- 30,000 team members
Forever Forward℠ at DFW
From construction projects to customer-centric initiatives, American’s new shortform video series is taking viewers behind the scenes of the historic multiyear modernization plan underway across DFW. Catch the exciting updates with the latest episodes — including a recent episode focused on the Terminal C pier — showcasing what customers can look forward to in the coming years.
