FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines announced today that it will begin operating from new facilities in the East Concourse at Dallas Love Field on Sept. 22, significantly improving the travel experience for its Love Field customers.

American made the announcement after signing a long-term lease with the City of Dallas that gives the airline access to three gates in the East Concourse and a total terminal-space leasehold at Love Field of 28,000 square feet.

“This is a big step forward in our plans for continued quality service at Love Field,” said Gary Kennedy, American’s vice president - corporate real estate. “We have wanted to operate from the new location in the East Concourse for more than a year, and our agreement with the city now allows us to serve our Love Field customers with facilities that fully measure up to American’s high standards.”

Since resuming service at Love Field on May 1, 2000, American has been operating from gates leased to it on a month-by-month basis by Continental Airlines, with an eye toward eventually moving to the East Concourse once the city adopted the Love Field Master Plan. The Master Plan was adopted earlier this year, and the Dallas City Council approved the basic lease terms for American at Love on June 13. The lease agreement was signed this week.

AA Refines Love Schedule

In refining its plans for Love Field service, American said that effective Oct. 1, it will add a fourth daily nonstop flight between Love Field and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, and on Sept. 11 it will discontinue its four flights a day between Love Field and Los Angeles International Airport. American will continue to offer four flights daily in the Love-Chicago O’Hare market.

American operates all of its Love Field services with Fokker 100 airplanes featuring 56 first-class seats and first-class meals.

Greater Customer Convenience With New Facilities

American’s new East Concourse location will have an upper and lower level and will be accessible both from the street and from the main Love Field terminal area. Those parking at Love will be able to use either the existing parking garage or a new 566-position parking lot in front of the East Concourse facility.

To allow customers and others to drive right up to the East Concourse, American is building a roadway extension that leads from Aviation Drive to a curbside drop-off and check-in area, and then continues around to Cedar Springs, the main airport thoroughfare. This means that people will be able to enter Love on Cedar Springs, turn right at Aviation Drive, and either drop off or pick up passengers or park in the new lot.

The concourse’s lower level will house administrative offices and the curbside location - covered by a canopy - where sky caps using American’s OneStop Curbside Check-in system will be able to check bags and, for passengers holding electronic tickets, issue boarding passes. Baggage claim will also be on the lower level. Customers will use stairs or an elevator to go to and from the upper-level departure and arrival gates.

On the upper level, a central security checkpoint will lead to the gate area. Initially, American will use two of its three gates, each outfitted with a covered loading bridge and about 50 seats arranged in convenient clusters. A central four-position service center will allow American’s agents to complete check-in functions and provide other customer services for passengers at each of the gates.

Under its lease agreement, the city is requiring American to tear down a long portion of the East Concourse that extends beyond its gate area, as well as the existing Building 12 on the other side of the gates. Another portion of the concourse, next to the new parking lot, will be removed from American’s leasehold and used for other purposes.

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