DFW urges customers to arrive early, plan for traffic and take advantage of the airport’sdigital tools
DFW AIRPORT, Texas (Dec. 18, 2025)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is preparing for a busy winter holiday travel period, with nearly 5 million customers expected to fly to, from and through the airport between Dec. 18 and Jan. 6. Due to the influx of holiday travelers and ongoing construction, customers should plan for busy traffic across the airport’s roadways and terminal curbs throughout the travel period. Overall passenger traffic during the holiday travel period is projected to increase about 3.2% compared with last year.
DFW recommends that travelers arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights to allow ample time to reach their gate.
Ensuring enough time will assist customers that encounter traffic, construction impacts, congested parking areas, and busy check-in and security screening areas.
Prepare for the Airport’s Busiest Travel Days
Large travel crowds are expected throughout the entire winter holiday period, with the heaviest timeframes for local departing and arriving customers occurring on the weekends and in early evenings.
The airport’s roads and terminal curbs are expected to be the busiest during the following periods:
- Friday, Dec. 19 through Monday, Dec. 22
- Friday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Dec. 28
DFW expects its busiest travel days at the start and near the end of the season, with more than 265K passengers expected both on Friday, Dec. 19 and on Sunday, Dec. 28. While daily volumes are expected to be more evenly distributed than the Thanksgiving travel period, terminal curbsides are still projected to be near those levels on several days – especially during the weekends between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Navigating Terminal C and the Airport’s Most Congested Areas
Customers departing or arriving on any day of the holiday season should prepare for heavier-than-usual traffic across the airport’s roadways – especially when approaching terminals from the north – and along all terminal curbs.
Heavy traffic is also expected at Terminal C due to ongoing construction in that area. To assist with traffic flow, the airport has reconfigured traffic flow patterns through the terminal to alleviate congested areas and provide a smoother flow of traffic. Directional signage will be installed to guide traffic through the area.
Customers flying American Airlines have the flexibility to check in at any terminal, avoiding congestion at Terminal C with a quick Skylink connection to their gate once through security. DFW encourages American customers consider another terminal based on live traffic conditions. Quickest access into Terminals A and B is from the north, while access into Terminals C, D and E is quickest from the south.
Customers can also prebook parking through the DFW website or mobile app to avoid decision-making upon arrival to the airport. For the fastest entry and exit at parking plazas, travelers should use dedicated TollTag lanes, which allow vehicles to pass through while TollTags are scanned automatically.
Skip Airport Traffic with Public Transit
Public transit remains a convenient way to bypass holiday traffic and roadway construction at the airport, offering direct access to DFW’s terminals:
- DART Silver Line: New service launched in October, linking Plano to Terminal B with stops in Richardson, Addison, Carrollton and Coppell – providing a faster northern route that avoids downtown Dallas.
- DART Orange Line: Connects Plano, downtown Dallas and Irving directly to Terminal A.
- Trinity Metro TEXRail: Runs from downtown Fort Worth through North Richland Hills and Grapevine to Terminal B.
- TRE + TRE Link Shuttle: Connects Dallas and Fort Worth to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, with easy transfers to terminals.
Transit is also a great option for travelers arriving at DFW. Customers can take transit to a station away from the airport and coordinate a pickup, which also helps reduce curbside congestion during peak periods.
Follow Curbside and Parking Protocols
To help keep traffic flowing, curbside areas are reserved for active loading and unloading only. Customers waiting to pick up passengers are encouraged to use cell phone lots and one-hour parking inside terminal garages (available at no additional charge).
Use DFW’s Digital Tools for Real-Time Decision Making
The DFW Airport mobile app, available for iOS and Android, helps travelers plan ahead and stay informed with real-time features such as:
Customers can explore additional holiday travel tips to help make their journey easier.
New Right-hand Access into Terminal A to Open Early for Holiday Travel
DFW is preparing to reach the next significant milestone of the International Parkway Project with the opening of the first phase of the new right-hand access into Terminal A on Friday, Dec. 19, which is earlier than originally planned. Through collaborative planning and customers in mind, the airport and project partners have worked together to accelerate the early opening, which will remove various detours currently in effect and improve access into Terminal A for customers traveling during the holidays.
The new northbound access into Terminal A will be opened in its final condition; however, the southbound access will open in a temporary but near-complete condition. The southbound access will be finished in January following the peak travel period.
About Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is one of the most connected and busiest airports in the world. Centered between owner cities Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport also serves as a major economic engine and job generator for the North Texas region. The airport’s historic $12 billion capital plan – DFW Forward – is set to transform the customer experience and plan for the future with monumental upgrades and expansions underway across DFW’s terminals, airfield and roadway infrastructure.For more information, visit the DFW website or download the DFW Airport mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Follow @dfwairport on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
