Dallas Love Field's long-range rebuild would make room for millions more travelers a year without adding a single gate, City Manager Kimberly Tolbert and Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan said Thursday at the North Dallas Chamber's Aviation Summit.
The plan, called the Love Field Airport Expansion Plan or LEAP, is in design. NBC 5 reported that the City Council could consider approving it in the first part of 2027, with changes rolling out in phases through 2033. CBS News Texas put the price at $2.5 billion, with construction expected to start in late 2027 and take about six years.
What would change
According to NBC 5, the project would begin by tearing down Garage A. Ticketing, check-in and security would move up a level, and the concourse would be widened by 50 feet to fit more restaurants, shops and restrooms. The phases also include a new parking structure, Garage D.
The airport now handles about 18 million passengers a year, and planners believe it could take on roughly 6 million more, but only with major changes to its current layout, the station reported.
"The time is right because Dallas is growing," Tolbert said.
Jordan said Southwest wants the money spent well. "This is a lot of money. We want to spend it the right way," he said, adding that the airline is "completely focused" on making the experience at its 18 gates there the best it can be. He also called the airline's relationship with the city the best he has seen in his 38 years at Southwest.
