The DFW Airport board approved a reduction in fees for tenants to reduce costs during the pandemic. Chief Executive Sean Donohue says the airport has seen a 40% drop in revenue totaling $200 million in the last six months.
"We've been able to reduce rent by more than $70 million, and we've been able to defer tens of millions of dollars in airline payments," he says. "We will continue to do everything we can to help our business partners and our community partners through this pandemic."
DFW will reduce storage and operation and maintenance fees for tenants by 50% through February 28, 2021. The move will cost the airport $1.6 million: $295,244 for storage fees and $1,321,212 for operations and maintenance fees.
While DFW is dealing with a drop in revenue, Donohue says the reduction in traffic is the smallest among the world's ten biggest airports. Traffic at DFW was down 48% the first six months of 2020, compared to 60% at London, 59% at LAX, 58% at Chicago-O'Hare, and 57% at Atlanta.
"I think it's just important to highlight we are recovering faster, and we expect that to continue over the next several months," he says.
Donohue says DFW Airport has spent $300 million on construction in the current fiscal year. He says that work has supported 4,000 jobs.
"It's important that DFW continues to provide opportunities for all of our local businesses and community partners," he says.
Planning for Terminal F was suspended in April, but Donohue says that process will resume quickly when air travel recovers.
"Like the airport, I believe the region is recovering, economically, faster than a lot of metropolitan areas," he says. "We believe the growth will continue, and in the future, we will need a sixth terminal."
DFW Airport has spent $2 million on "enhanced cleaning efforts" and $220,000 for plexiglass. The airport started enhanced cleaning in January when DFW was chosen as a site to receive passengers from China.
The airport has also hired a 165 person "cleaning strike team" to clean high-touch areas, like railings, counters and elevator buttons. Before the pandemic, Julio Badin, the senior vice president of customer experience, says DFW had started work on "smart bathrooms," which alert custodians when a soap dispenser is empty or toilet paper needs to be replaced. Badin says stalls with lights above them can also let people know when a stall is occupied without the need to touch a door.
"We've been able to leverage that to really focus on a touch-less experience and leverage it to our response to COVID," he says.
By Thanksgiving, Badin says DFW Airport should have UVC lighting installed in the ventilation systems around security checkpoints and ticket counters.
"The installation of this innovative technology will improve the air quality in Terminals A, B, D and E, as well as the rental car center," he says.