DALLAS — Dallas Love Field has completed a new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station and Airport Operations building, marking a major upgrade to the airport’s emergency response capabilities, according to the City of Dallas.
The 33,400-square-foot facility, five years in the making, officially opens August 13, 2026. It houses both Dallas Fire-Rescue and Love Field Operations functions under one roof, and now ranks as the second-largest ARFF station in Texas and the fourth-largest in the country.
Patrick Carreno, Director of Aviation for the City of Dallas, said the project represents more than just a new building. He said it reflects the airport’s commitment to stronger emergency response, more efficient operations, and a more sustainable, resilient future for aviation at Love Field.
The project was built with help from several consulting and construction firms, including PGAL, HNTB, Mead & Hunt, Raba Kistner, and Satterfield and Pontikes.
Love Field is the busiest medium-hub airport in the country and ranks second nationally for jet activity. It handles nearly 18 million passengers a year, supports more than 250,000 aircraft operations, and manages 13.8 million square feet of airside pavement, a scale of activity that puts real demands on both its fire rescue teams and its operations staff.
Dallas Fire-Rescue responds to airfield emergencies, while the Operations teams handle regulatory compliance, airfield safety, and coordinating ground services to keep aircraft moving without disruption. Before this new building, Operations staff were spread across multiple buildings around the airport, which slowed response times and made coordination harder. The old Station 21, built back in the 1960s, had long outlived its usefulness, and its location added extra time to emergency responses.
Dallas Fire Chief Justin Ball said the new facility gives firefighters cutting-edge training tools, modern equipment, and better proximity to do their jobs well. He said the investment is one more way Dallas Fire-Rescue can keep delivering the highest level of safety for both residents and the millions of travelers passing through the city.
The building comes equipped with an XCharge high-power intelligent charging system built for the world’s first all-electric ARFF vehicle, along with future electric vehicles. It also includes a designated storm shelter, rapid deployment bi-folding doors, a maintenance bay with an overhead crane lift, a fully equipped training room, and amenities like a gym, outdoor kitchen, and conference room.
The new station fits into Love Field’s broader capital improvement program, known as LEAP, which aims to modernize the airport’s infrastructure and improve operational efficiency while shrinking its environmental footprint for the long haul.
