UPDATE April 13, 2021: DFW would like to update you regarding the runway rehabilitation work of Runway 18R/36L. DFW Airport appreciates your patience during this important project for DFW Airport. They are pleased to inform you that Runway 18R/36L is anticipated to be reopened for daytime operations this week with the target opening Wednesday, April 14, 2021, on or around noon. Please note that there is still significant work on taxiways and electrical adjacent to the runway; however, DFW is reopening the runway for day use in order to relieve closure effects for local communities and for our airline partners. Runway 18R/36L’s use will be limited by closures of some runway exit taxiways that are still closed for reconstruction. As a result, arriving aircraft will remain on the runway longer to be able to exit, limiting the use of the runway. So, while some air traffic will shift back to this runway when it reopens, you may still experience flights from air traffic that are using other runways until the runway is available at full capacity. Finally, Runway 18R/36L will be closed for night work from 10 pm to 8 am until May 4th at which time the night closures will be reduced from 11 pm to 7 am.
DFW Airport encourages you to continue to use DFW resources to view near real-time flights at https://dfw.noiselab.casper.aero/. Also, DFW recently updated its webpage. All noise information can still be found at https://www.dfwairport.com/business/community/aircraftnoise/. As always, citizens with inquiries or comments should contact DFW Airport by email at [email protected], or on the Noise Complaint Hotline, at 972-973-3192 (manned 24/7).
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UPDATE March 08, 2021: At this time, DFW would like to update you regarding the ongoing runway rehabilitation work of Runway 18R/36L. DFW Airport appreciates your patience during this runway rehabilitation effort, especially as the airport continues to recover from COVID impacts to air traffic.
As with most construction in the area, the runway project timeline was impacted by the recent extreme weather conditions statewide during the week of February 14, 2021. While DFW continues to renew its construction efforts, Runway 18R/36L is now currently anticipated to be reopened for daytime operations end of April. Further, once the runway opens for day use, its use will be limited by closures of some runway exit taxiways that are still closed for reconstruction. This means arriving aircraft remains on the runway longer to be able to exit, limiting the use of the runway. So, while some air traffic will shift back to Runway 18R/36L when it reopens, you may still experience flights from air traffic that are using other runways until 18R/36L is available at full capacity.
DFW Airport encourages you to continue to use DFW resources to view near real-time flights at https://dfw.noiselab.casper.aero/. Also, DFW recently updated its webpage. All noise information can still be found at https://www.dfwairport.com/business/community/aircraftnoise/. As always, citizens with inquiries or comments should contact DFW Airport by email at [email protected], or on the Noise Complaint Hotline, at 972-973-3192 (manned 24/7).
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DFW has informed the Town of Trophy Club of the upcoming runway rehabilitation project that could affect air traffic in TC. DFW will fully close Runway 18R/36L for extensive rehabilitation work beginning on June 1, 2020, and continuing until early March 2021. This project is part of DFW Airport’s 10-year Infrastructure Rehabilitation program to address runways and taxiways that will need significant rehabilitation work. Runway 18R/36L is DFW’s primary west-side arrival runway handling approximately 40% of DFW’s daily arrivals. The 13,400-foot runway was built in 1984 and is in critical need of rehabilitation.
As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, operations are at historic lows due to international travel restrictions and low demand for travel at the moment. As a result of the lower operations, DFW has decided to accelerate this project to begin June 1, 2020, to take advantage of the current situation. This will not only complete the project under less-than-normal operations but will also continue to create jobs in the area. The accelerated schedule will also result in fewer impacts to communities due to the lower operational levels.
RUNWAY 18R/36L CLOSURE:
DFW is planning the closure of Runway 18R/36L from June 1st, 2020 through Early March 2021. This is to accommodate the rehabilitation of this runway, which entails the following: replacement of the center third of the runway including over 34 acres of damaged concrete, replacement of runway electrical including over 2000 airfield lights as well as reconstruction of shoulders, blast pads, and drainage. Finally, the runway will be resurfaced with a hot mix asphalt overlay. A Fact Sheet about the Runway 18R/36L Project is here, detailing the project, including its schedule and what to expect during the project. Also outlined are the anticipated effects on runway use below.
What to Expect:
Surrounding communities may experience an increase in noise within their neighborhoods from the effects of the change in operations during the closure. In general, because aircraft take off and land into the wind, when winds are southerly aircraft take off to the south and land from north to south. When winds are northerly, aircraft take off to the north (or northwest in the case of the use of Runway 31L) and land from south to north. Keep in mind that surface winds don’t always dictate flow as winds above the surface and/or operational needs can affect the direction for which aircraft take off and land.
During the Full Closure of the project, the following runway utilization is anticipated:
Full Closure (June 1, 2020 – Early March, 2021) - Runway 18R/36L will be closed to all traffic
- Air Traffic will shift to other runways increasing operations on those runways
- Operational levels are significantly reduced thus impacts to communities will be less than expected.
- Potential for increased use of all arrival runways during 10 PM – 7 AM
- North Flow: When the winds are out of the north (approximately 30% of the year):
- Arrivalswill shift from Runway 36L (arrival runway) to other runways, resulting in increased operations on those runways
- Runway 35R and 31R (arrival runways) on the east side, primarily affecting Irving
- Runway 36L on the west side.
- Departureswill also shift to other runways, resulting in increased operations on those runways:
- Runway 31L on the west side primarily affecting Southlake, western Grapevine, Trophy Club and Westlake;
- Runway 36R on the west side (departure runway)
- Runway 17R on the east side (departure runway).
- South Flow: When the winds are out of the south (approximately 70% of the year):
- Arrivals will shift from Runway 18R (arrival runway) to other runways resulting in increased operations on those runways
- Runway 17L (arrival runway) on the east side, primarily affecting Coppell;
- Runways 13R on the west side, primarily affecting Southlake, Trophy Club and Westlake
- Runway 18L on the west side, primarily affecting Flower Mound and Lewisville
- The shifts in aircraft operations to other runways during the closure may primarily affect the cities of Irving, Coppell, and Lewisville. Southlake, Grapevine, Trophy Club, Westlake, and Flower Mound.
- Keep in mind that surface winds don’t always dictate flow as winds above the surface and/or operational needs can affect the direction for which aircraft take off and land.
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Below is a graphic that provides a visual as to how air traffic will be redistributed during the full closure.
DFW recently released a new flight tracking website that can be used to see near-live flight tracks, see the latest DFW news on the runway project, daily statistics as well as a feature that allows the public to input their address to view current and historical flights in their vicinity. The website can be found from DFW Airport’s Noise Web page by clicking on “View DFW Airport Noise Info”: Aircraft Noise Webpage.
Citizens with inquiries or comments should contact DFW Airport by email at [email protected], or on the Noise Complaint Hotline, at 972-973-3192 (manned 24/7). Follow-up response calls or emails will be provided when requested. Additionally, please visit the Aircraft Noise Webpage, for more up-to-date information as well as links to our public-facing website.