DFW International Airport Enhances and Automates Guest Parking Experience with New Parking Technology and Control Plazas

DFW AIRPORT, Texas, Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport today launched its new Parking Control System and new Control Plazas, a major upgrade in the system that registers the cars driving in and out of the Airport.  The new system is highly automated and gives customers the ability to quickly process their own transactions with a North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) TollTag or a credit card. For the speediest transactions, as well as discounts on parking and pass-through rates, DFW Airport recommends motorists acquire a TollTag from NTTA.

"We have taken an important step to improve the customer experience by adding more lanes and reducing wait times to enter and exit the Airport," said Jeff Fegan, CEO of DFW Airport. "The new Parking Control System allows many more lanes to operate because they are automated, and that will mean a better experience for a great majority of our customers."

DFW Airport's new parking technology allows self-service ticket retrieval for guests who prefer to pay with a credit card. Guests who choose to use a TollTag will enjoy a faster experience and will save $2 per day on terminal parking or $1 when passing through the Airport. In order to take advantage of the speedier transactions, guests must activate DFW Airport expenditures on their NTTA TollTag online account. New TollTag accounts have DFW Airport transactions already enabled.

"Customers are really going to notice improvements in speed and availability of lanes, because have deployed a lot more lanes under the new system," said Ken Buchanan, executive vice president of revenue management at DFW Airport. "Just as you already see customers doing a self check-in at airport ticketing or a self check-out at the grocery store, you can now do that at DFW Airport parking plazas, which allows for a faster exit."

Under the new system, every entry lane will be automated, and the majority of exit lanes will also be automated. For passengers needing assistance, six booths will be staffed with cashiers at the north exit plaza, and there will be seven manned exit booths at the south plaza. Guests opting to pay with cash when exiting the Airport can still do so in the left exit lanes of the parking plazas. For guests arriving using the current system but leaving after the new system is enabled, there will be additional control plaza staffing during the transition period of about two weeks.

Drivers can secure a TollTag from a variety of retail establishments in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. For a complete list, visit the NTTA website at www.ntta.org.

The new Parking Control System includes software and hardware from Skidata, one of the world's leading suppliers of parking access systems for vehicles.  The total cost of the system, including construction of the new DFW entry plazas, associated administration buildings and full replacement of computer infrastructure, totals about $56 million.

The decommissioning of the existing North and South Control Plazas marks the end of almost 40 years of continuous service for the entry and exit plazas at DFW Airport, and the end of human greeters at the plaza entry.  The plazas were built in 1973 and opened in 1974 along with the Airport itself, and have been in service every day since.  The old plaza structures will be removed over the next several months by process of construction work in the overnight hours, with the removal expected to be completed by the end of the year.

About DFW International Airport

Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world's fourth busiest, offering nearly 1,900 flights per day and serving 58 million passengers a year. DFW provides nonstop service to 148 domestic and 53 international destinations worldwide. For seven consecutive years, DFW has ranked among the top ten large airports worldwide for customer service in surveys conducted by Airports Council International. For the latest news, real-time flight information, parking availability or further details regarding the many services provided at DFW International Airport, visit www.dfwairport.com.

(re)defining DFW International Airport

DFW International Airport's $2.3 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP) is (re)defining first class for this global gateway.  For the latest details regarding TRIP, log on to www.dfwairport.com/redefine.

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SOURCE DFW International Airport