Dallas/Fort Worth Opens Airport Terminal
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The Dallas and Fort Worth region is gearing up to attract more Korean visitors with its brand new terminal at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Officials from the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, and DFW airport came to Korea for their first promotion of the gateway region to northern Texas. The Dallas-Fort Worth region is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. The airport located between the two cities is the world's third busiest.
``We're committed to bringing new services to Koreans. We see tremendous potential for the growth of the Korean market,'' Jeffrey P. Fegan, CEO of the airport, said at a press conference in Seoul Thursday.
Korean Air currently operates three nonstop flights between Incheon International Airport and DFW airport a week, and will add one more starting July.
Fegan said that DFW airport will be the gateway to the United States for Koreans, providing a connection from the region to 135 domestic airports.
``The increase of the frequency will help boost tourism and business between Korea and Texas. With the visa waiver program to be adopted soon, the Korean tourist market is expected to double,'' Fegan said.
The airport has recently built a new terminal, International Terminal D, which can process up to 2,800 passengers per hour.
``The Skylink train connects the five terminals quickly and easily,'' said Joseph W. Lopano, executive vice president of the airport's marketing and terminal management.
The Dallas-Fort Worth region is famous for Western culture. ``As `cities of cowboy and culture,' we're proud of our Western heritage,'' said David A. DuBois, president and CEO of the Fort Worth tourism board, introducing museums and shopping attractions of the region.
The tourism bodies and the airport plan to spend $1 million on the promotion in Korea.