Ready for takeoff

For on-time performance, DFW flies high among world’s biggest airports

Last year, 76.78 percent of flights at DFW were on time.

Photo courtesy of Ibarra Engineers

For air travelers, few things are more irritating than flight delays. But for passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, those irritations are relatively minimal.

In a report released January 3 by aviation data provider OAG, DFW ranks 10th worldwide for timely takeoffs and landings at so-called “mega” airports. Last year, 76.78 percent of flights at DFW were on time, the report says.

OAG defines on-time performance as flights that arrive or depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. It places airports into five categories (mega, major, large, midsize, and small) based on their passenger capacity.

The on-time performance of Fort Worth-based American Airlines boosted the airport’s overall on-time performance. Last year, DFW’s biggest carrier posted on-time performance of 76.28 percent, OAG says.

DFW is one of the world’s busiest airports, welcoming more than 73 million passengers a year. Last May, the airport and American Airlines announced a $3 billion to $3.5 billion plan to construct a new terminal (Terminal F) and upgrade Terminal C.

In March 2019, Airports Council International named DFW the best large airport (serving at least 40 million passengers a year) in North America. Two months earlier, the Air Transport World trade publication recognized DFW as 2019 Airport of the Year.

In a January 2019 release, Karen Walker, editor-in-chief of Air Transport World, said DFW stands out “for its innovation, operational excellence, and focus on serving its customers — passengers and airlines. DFW has invested in infrastructure and technology to improve its facilities, efficiencies, and sustainability, all the time continuing its operations as a global mega-hub.”

In the OAG report, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport lands in the No. 1 spot among mega airports, with an on-time record of 86.87 percent in 2019. For mega airports in the U.S., Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport claims the top ranking (83.74 percent), followed by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Denver International Airport, and DFW.

Dallas Love Field was not included in the OAG study.

Elsewhere in Texas:

Houston’s George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport soars to No. 9 among major global airports, scoring an on-time record of 79.25 percent last year. Houston’s Hobby Airport wasn’t included in the report.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport checks in at No. 19 among large airports around the world, earning an on-time performance record of 80.12 percent in 2019.
San Antonio International Airport flies into the No. 12 spot among midsize global airports, with an on-time record last year of 81.2 percent.

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DART News

DART receives $7 million federal grant for new low-emission buses

Gillig

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a grant to update its fleet of buses. According to a release, the agency was awarded a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to support the purchase of new buses as the agency phases out its fleet of older model vehicles.

The grant awarded to DART is one of 165 transit projects across the U.S. funded with more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In February, DART purchased 476 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from Gillig, a California-based manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses, to fulfill their goal to modernize their transit system over the next decade — particularly via new buses and light-rail vehicles to replace the oldest units in their aging fleet.

The phase-in of those new vehicles is expected to be executed through 2027.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses are a near-zero emission option, which was a key component in DART qualifying for the federal grant. Gillig has already delivered the first buses ahead of a Spring 2026 timeline — meaning that DART riders will get to start riding the upgraded buses on routes by the end of December 2025.

In a statement, DART President & CEO Nadine Lee says the timing is perfect.

“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state-of-the-art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup," Lee says. "We are grateful to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, FTA Administrator Marcus Molinaro, and our entire congressional delegation for valuing their strong federal partnership with DART, recognizing the need to find additional funding to support transit programs in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation."

This new grant is in addition to $103 million initial federal grants, bringing the total federal support for DART’s purchase of new buses to more than $110 million – reducing the overall cost to DART and member cities.

U.S. Congressional delegates, representing communities across Texas, were instrumental in securing the funding for the grant. The purchase of 476 buses is one part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the DART system.

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