Astronomical Growth Targets Addressed at DAL
City of Dallas enlists Ricondo to update its 2001 Master Plan for DAL
From its humble beginnings as a US Army airport in 1917, Dallas Love Field has transformed into a vibrant transportation hub only 6 miles from downtown Dallas. It services millions of passengers annually, while deeply entrenched in a community enveloped by homes, schools, restaurants, and businesses.
A significant turning point occurred in the airport’s development in 2013 and 2014 when the burgeoning growth of Southwest Airlines and an appeal of the route-restrictive Wright/Shelby Amendment resulted in the anticipated number of domestic aircraft permitted in and out of Love Field to skyrocket. This newfound unconstrained demand would create numerous airport challenges—from origin and destination to connecting passenger flows and gate demand—not to mention the need to improve airport landside operations, conduct extensive community outreach (Good Neighbor Plan), and develop optimal land-use concepts for constrained airport property. That’s when the City of Dallas turned to Ricondo to update its 2001 Master Plan.
As part of the master plan project, Ricondo’s forecasting and modeling expertise offered various scenarios for aviation demand, potential network structures, airline service profiles, and anticipated passenger traffic. Ricondo's forecasts anticipated enplanements to grow from 4 million in 2014 to 7 million by 2032, with annual aircraft traffic rising from 177,000 to 210,000.
Since completion of the Master Plan Update, Love Field’s ongoing growth has continued the need for Ricondo’s highly responsive on-call services. New landside solutions from Ricondo include innovative curbside, parking, rental car, and ingress/egress components. Numerous near-term airfield projects are also underway to accommodate runway rehabilitation.
Today, thanks to Ricondo, these dramatic improvements are being implemented all while maintaining Love Field’s mission to support its neighbors and improve overall life in the surrounding community.
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