Airport News

Toys R Us to open its first airport store at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

Rendering of the new Toys R Us at DFW Airport.

Courtesy rendering

Global toy store chain Toys R Us is opening its very first location in an airport, and guess which airport that is: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)! Yay.

According to a release, the store will open in Terminal A, and is slated to open in time for holiday season 2023.

This is good news both for Toys R Us, which has been in the toy business for more than 70 years but has had some rocky times in recent years, as well as for airline travelers who need to pick up a toy.

Founded in 1957 in Rockville, Maryland, Toys R Us - which seems to like the quote-ridden format Toys"R"Us - was a toy, baby, and clothing retail store in its heyday, but started to see a decline in sales and filed for bankruptcy in 2017, before executing a massive closure of every location in 2018.

In 2021, the company was acquired by WHP Global, whose efforts have included a national rollout of outlets inside all Macy's stores.

The company is also launching the brand in Mexico, India, and the UK.

For the airport venture, they're partnered with Duty Free Americas the largest duty-free retailer in the Americas, operating approximately 200 stores in airports, border crossings and seaports located in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and other international locations.

"We are thrilled to partner with Duty Free Americas to introduce the to introduce the first-ever Toys R Us airport store, an exciting new concept that we believe could roll out in airports around the world," saus WHP Global chairman & CEO Yehuda Shmidman in a statement.

The new airport store will strive to bring a fun experience that caters to gift buyers on-the-go and parents traveling with children. It will feature a life-sized 3D sculpture of Geoffrey the Giraffe, its beloved mascot, as well as:

a selection of toys and games from popular brands
demonstration tables for hands-on play
iconic brand elements throughout the space

"We are excited that WHP Global selected us to introduce a new retail concept to the travel industry," says Duty Free Americas CEO Jerome Falic. "Toys R Us is a globally recognized brand beloved by millions of families, and we are confident that the store at DFW will become a must-visit destination for travelers."

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Canal News

American Airlines adds new roundtrip from DFW Airport to Venice, Italy

Skyscrapercity.com

New destination from DFW Aiport.

Starting in May 2025, Fort Worth-based American Airlines is adding new flights to Italy, including a direct flight from DFW Airport to Venice.

It's part of a big Italy expansion with increased flights to Rome (FCO), Naples (NAP), and Venice (VCE).

“As Italy continues to remain popular for summertime travel, American is making it easier than ever for customers to shop, dine or unwind in their favorite destinations,” says American senior VP Brian Znotins in a release.

Tickets will be available for purchase starting Nov. 4 on aa.com and American’s mobile app.

American will offer its first-ever nonstop flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to VCE starting June 5. Complementing existing service from Philadelphia (PHL), the airline will offer convenient one-stop connections to VCE from more than 230 destinations in North America.

Other non-DFW flights include:

Building upon its new NAP service that launched this year, American will fly nonstop from Chicago (ORD) to NAP in 2025.

Rome will see expanded summer service from Miami (MIA) and Philadelphia (PHL), starting in June. American already offers daily year-round service from Rome to Philly but now will operate a second daily flight during the summer.

American recently announced additional nonstop service to Europe, including resuming service to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), next year. The airline will also launch more flights to Athens, Greece (ATH), and Milan (MXP) next year.

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