Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 1

132 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 W hat will the future of air travel look like? We have been asking that question since the Wright Brothers and in truth, the answer is always evolving. When it comes to large-scale airport operations, therefore, there is always a sense of asking, what’s next? Bigger planes, faster planes, personal planes, vertical takeoff, electric… the sky’s the limit. And keeping ahead of the curve is the ticket. At Dallas Love Field (DAL), the 31st busiest airport in the country, they are serious about keeping this forward momentum, and there always seems to be something in the works. It was once the only airport for Dallas, and has been the second-largest airport in the city ever since the construction of DallasFort Worth International Airport in 1974. Before COVID-19 came on the scene, the airport saw nearly 17 million passengers. When you are talking about this much business, there is always going to be more that needs to be done. “Our runway project is certainly the most significant project at the moment,” explains Marissa Sanchez, Assistant Director of the Department of Aviation for the City of Dallas. “It kicked off in April of 2021 and we had originally estimated that the runway would be closed for 10 months. Because of a few different challenges, including labor shortages and supply chain issues due to COVID, we now see the runway being closed longer than originally AT A GLANCE DALLAS LOVE FIELD WHAT: City-owned public general aviation airport WHERE: Six miles northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas WEBSITE: www.dallas-lovefield.com Field Exciting times ahead