The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the temporary closure of the Dallas Vertiport, located adjacent to the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, effective July 24.

This closure will allow the facility's demolition and reconstruction as part of the multi-year project to build a new and expanded convention center in the Central Business District, as City of Dallas officials announced in 2022.

Located on the south end of the convention center, the Dallas Vertiport is the world's largest urban elevated Heliport/Vertiport. It has a dual deck that accommodates three helicopters plus two vertical-take-off and landing aircraft.

Construction for the new facility will begin after the vertiport's closure, with work projected to start by late 2025.

Once completed, the site will feature an entirely new infrastructure, according to the City of Dallas Department of Aviation, which manages the vertiport, Dallas Love Field, and Dallas Executive Airport.

While the airport layout plan is still in progress, the new vertiport will have similar square footage and design. It will meet current FAA vertiport design criteria and incorporate upgrades such as:

• Emerging electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVOL) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) requirements
• Expanded aircraft parking capacity from five to six positions
• A reimagined passenger lobby and on-site vehicle parking

"This facility has served as a valuable asset to the city for over 30 years, and we are excited to rebuild it to guarantee long-term adaptability and operational readiness," says Rafael Garza, General Aviation Manager for the Department of Aviation, in a statement.

The Dallas Vertiport accommodates a variety of general aviation operations, including military training, sightseeing, law enforcement missions, aerial photography, and more. It sees frequent use by businesses in downtown Dallas, with corporate flights, recreational flying, law enforcement, sight-seeing, aerial photography, flight training, and military training. It also hosts the HAI Heli Expo every four years, attracting more than 400 attendees.

This is the first time the vertiport has been closed since it opened in 1994. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2029.