Thirty years ago today, just minutes after midnight, American Airlines
Flight 341 from Memphis and Little Rock landed on an airstrip at the
Dallas-Fort Worth airport, officially becoming the first carrier to bring
passengers to the brand new airport on the outskirts of Dallas and Fort
Worth.

When the aircraft came to a halt at the gate, airport operations agent Val
Vierling opened the door to greet the 88 passengers onboard the Boeing 727
with a “howdy,” spoken with true Southern hospitality and spirit. Since
that day, American has brought billions of passengers to the international
airport, which is now the third busiest airport in the world.

Home of American`s largest hub and headquarters, American has been the
airline of choice in Texas, with roots that go back much further than 30
years. Beginning in 1927 as Texas Air Transport, the airline was the first
airline to bring jet service to the area, and the first carrier to use
widebody aircraft in the region.

American has played a key role in the economic success of north Texas, and
American has been one of the largest employers in the metroplex for many
years. “American is proud of the role it has played in the success that
DFW airport is celebrating today,” said Tim Ahern, vice president of the
DFW hub. “Over the years, our passenger, mail and cargo operations have
contributed to the vitality of the metroplex community and to the economic
success of this great state.”

The festivities today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of service at
DFW included a ceremony on airport property at Founder`s Plaza, and an
American Airlines pilot waving a Lone Star flag to salute the airport and
its 30 years of service in North Texas.

Today, American has more than 15,000 employees dedicated to serving
customers at DFW airport. Like the airport, more than 1,140 of those
employees have been delivering service to customers for 30 years or more.
Some things, like Southern hospitality and spirit, never change.

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