American Airlines Catering Facility

Overview

American Airlines' catering facility near Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport is the largest airline catering kitchen in the United States.

This 2-story, 214,000 square foot facility replaced an existing kitchen that could no longer meet the airport's growing demands. The new state-of-the-art facility operates around the clock, featuring comprehensive food preparation, processing, and assembly areas alongside modern dishwashing facilities and storage solutions. Its ultramodern design incorporates American Airlines' brand elements throughout, including a showcase demonstration kitchen offering views of DFW International Airport.

Our Approach

Our project team leveraged BIM to optimize the design for over 300 pieces of kitchen equipment, implementing comprehensive mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) installations throughout the facility. Our work encompassed advanced utility systems including chilled water, hot water, an ice melt system, and condensate drains, alongside robust electrical infrastructure featuring redundant 4000A utility services, lighting fixtures, and switchgear. Our field teams also installed critical safety systems, including fire alarms and lightning protection, and specialized MEP connections for commercial kitchen equipment and systems within multiple large coolers and freezers.

The project's proximity to active airport operations presented unique challenges, which were addressed through careful coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration for helicopter-assisted equipment lifting. To maintain the project schedule, we gained staged access to completed areas, implemented prefabricated systems to expedite on-site work, and maintained safety protocols — ultimately achieving 0 recordable injuries over 113,000 work hours.

Result

Completed in March 2023, this $100 million project marked the first phase of DFW's new Terminal F development. The new facility has significantly enhanced operational efficiency, directly addressing the previous issues that impacted airport operations.