Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is gearing up for its busiest winter holiday season on record, with an estimated 4.7 million passengers expected to travel through the airport between December 20 and January 7. This represents a 2.4% increase over last year’s holiday period, highlighting the growing demand for air travel in North Texas.
The airport projects its busiest travel days to be the weekends before and after Christmas, with Friday, December 20, anticipated to see the highest volume, welcoming more than 265,000 travelers.
As passenger traffic surges, vehicle congestion at DFW has also increased, particularly during peak evening and weekend hours. On Sunday, December 1, the airport recorded its highest-ever volume of vehicle traffic during the hours of 3-6 p.m. Terminal C, currently undergoing reconstruction, remains a focal point for congestion with one of its three parking garages closed, along with related roadway restrictions.
DFW advises travelers to allow extra time when navigating terminals, especially during peak hours from 5-9 p.m., and exercise caution around construction zones, including International Parkway and Terminal C.
Efforts to Improve Traffic Flow
DFW has implemented several measures to manage increased traffic and minimize delays:
- Enhanced Traffic Control: Extra officers will patrol terminal roadways, curbs, and garages while monitoring curbside rules. Crosswalks will be staffed during high-volume hours to ensure safe traffic movement.
- Traffic Flow Improvements: Temporary barriers and additional signage will redirect traffic, particularly around Terminals B and C. Officers at key intersections will help ease bottlenecks, while signs will remind drivers that passenger pick-ups and drop-offs can occur on both upper and lower levels.
- Parking and Rideshare Management: Overflow parking and adjusted rideshare traffic plans are in place to reduce curbside congestion.
- Construction Moratorium: A holiday construction pause will minimize disruptions, though ongoing zones may still create temporary delays.
Tips for Travelers
Passengers can play an essential role in reducing traffic delays by following these tips:
- Arrive early: Plan to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights to allow time for parking, check-in, and security screening.
- Use public transit:
- DART’s Orange Line provides direct access to Terminal A.
- TEXRail connects riders to Terminal B.
- Trinity Railway Express offers service from Dallas and Fort Worth to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, with terminal access via the TRE Link shuttle.
- For details on transit schedules and fares, visit DART or Trinity Metro.
- Use Express and Remote lots: Shuttle service from the airport’s Express and Remote parking lots provide quick access to the terminals while helping to alleviate terminal traffic. Shuttles to the terminals reduce vehicle traffic by as many as eight vehicles per trip.
- Follow curbside rules: Curbside areas are designated for active loading and unloading only. Vehicles stopping or parking in traffic lanes will be redirected by airport police. Travelers waiting to pick up passengers should use the cell phone lots until their party is ready for curbside pickup. Stopping is limited to the time needed to load or unload passengers at the curb. Stopping in any other lanes is not allowed, is unsafe, and causes delays.
- Pick-up in the garages: Offering convenience for longer pick-ups or drop-offs, including one-hour parking options, the terminal garages allow customers to stop for longer times outside of traffic.
- Use the DFW Mobile App: Prebook parking, view live parking availability, check security wait times, and access other personalized features through a MyDFW account.
- Be traffic aware: Use online traffic maps and tools to check road conditions and travel times. Build in appropriate transit times to arrive at the airport ahead of your flight. For the latest updates on traffic, parking, and construction, visit dfwairport.com/construction or download the DFW Airport mobile app.
