DFW Airport has notified the City of Southlake about a runway closure that could affect air traffic in your vicinity.
DFW plans to close the northern 2,000 feet of Runway 17R/35L to allow the installation of FAA approach lights. The runway will still be available for normal operations during the day (sunrise to sunset) but will be closed at night. The partial closure may require some traffic to shift to other runways especially during early morning or late evening. The partial closure will begin on May 10, 2020 at 9 p.m. and will continue in the evenings until May 25 at 7 a.m.
In addition to the partial runway closure, we would like to update you on other changes at DFW Airport resulting from the current COVID-19 global pandemic.
- Flight operations have reduced more than 65% and passengers by more than over 93%. DFW is strategically using this period of reduced operations to conduct maintenance and rehabilitation on runways and taxiways, which minimizes impacts to the community and DFW’s airline partners.
- The majority of DFW flight operations are occurring on the east runways with only limited operations on west side runways, due to FAA’s March 28 shift to the East Tower. As of April 28, FAA began staffing the west tower from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, to accommodate some west side operations primarily during peak periods.
- Runway 13R/31L was closed effective April 3 due to the current lack of demand and limited visibility of the runway from the East Tower. The runway will be reopened when needed.
What to Expect:
For cities on DFW’s west side – Grapevine, Euless, Flower Mound, Southlake, Arlington, Westlake:
- Cities on the west side will experience reduced flight operations.
- No operations will be occurring on Runway 13R/31L during the noted closure.
- During peak usage hours, cities on the west side may continue to experience some arrival and departure operations.
For cities on DFW’s east side – Coppell, Irving, Lewisville, Grand Prairie:
- The shift in aircraft operations should result in similar flight operations as this week due to the overall significant reduction in total daily operations.
- Communities may experience some additional traffic, including normal to slightly increased numbers of arrivals to Runways 17C/35C and 17L/35R to accommodate irregular operations and unique flight schedules.
- The partial closure of Runway 17R/35L (and night full closure) may result in some early morning arrivals on Runway 17L/35R.
As a reminder, aircraft take off and land into the wind. Thus, the direction of operations is primarily based on winds. 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.
Citizens with inquiries or comments should contact DFW Airport by email at dfwnoise@dfwairport.com, or on the Noise Complaint Hotline, at 972-973-3192 (staffed 24/7). Follow-up response calls or emails will be provided, when requested. DFW launched a website, NoiseLab, that allows the public to view near-live flight operations, historical operations, news and statistics.
We appreciate your patience during this time. DFW staff are always happy to discuss Airport operations and impacts to your city in greater detail if you desire. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Airport for more information.
