As North Texas prepares to host hundreds of thousands of FIFA World Cup visitors, Dallas Love Field says years of planning are about to pay off.
“We’ve been working on this for several years,” Dallas Aviation Director Patrick Carreno said.
Love Field has partnered with FIFA’s airport operations team to prepare for the massive influx of travelers expected during the tournament. The goal is to make the experience smooth from the gate to ground transportation.
“It really starts from when you get off the plane at the gate all the way down to the curb,” Carreno said.
The airport has trained hundreds of employees in FIFA hospitality standards to help welcome visitors from 48 countries. Travelers will also see dedicated FIFA welcome desks and pickup zones inside the terminal.
More World Cup signage and branding is still being installed throughout the airport.
Love Field is also preparing for a surge in private jet traffic during the tournament.
“We are already one of the busiest private jet airports in the country,” Carreno said.
Airport officials say they have coordinated additional aircraft parking space, including overflow capacity at Dallas Executive Airport.
For departing travelers, Love Field is rolling out TSA touchless ID technology for eligible TSA PreCheck passengers, allowing travelers to move through security without presenting a physical ID.
The World Cup will have an extended impact on Dallas airports because the city will host more matches than any other World Cup city and serve as home to the International Broadcast Center.
“We’re ready,” Carreno said. “We’re excited.”