Dallas Love Field Adds New Southwest Routes, SIXT Rental Branch and NetJets Private Terminal
Why It MattersPrivate-aviation terminal capacity is being built into a commercial airport's multi-year rebuild, showing how fractional operators and airlines now compete for the same constrained airfield footprint during construction.
What happened
Southwest Airlines will launch non-stop service between Dallas Love Field and Richmond International Airport on June 5, 2027. Southwest also announced seasonal service connecting Dallas to Bozeman, Montana, starting in summer 2027, and said that in fall 2027 all Southwest flights will have access to Starlink WiFi. The non-stop route between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Dallas Love Field, announced in April with a planned Nov. 21 start, actually began Oct. 1, according to a July 17 release.
SIXT, a premium car rental company, announced its expansion to Dallas Love Field in a Sept. 2 press release. The new location is at 5800 Maple Ave. SIXT offers premium vehicles with low mileage at 130 branches across 28 states, and customers can book online and join a rewards program, according to the company's website. SIXT North America President Tom Kennedy said the company is growing its network to meet customers wherever they travel.
Private jet operator NetJets will open a private terminal at Love Field in late 2028, according to an Oct. 12 news release. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing describes a $35 million project covering 80,000 square feet, including a new aircraft hangar E, a private passenger terminal, shops and office space, plus renovated parking, landscaping and utilities. Construction permits filed with the City of Dallas show three phases, beginning with demolition of Terminal J and six existing aircraft hangars in buildings E, F, K, L, M and N.
Separately, a Dallas City Council ordinance from Sept. 9 provides for removing and replacing 20 boarding bridges and their ground power units at Love Field. The estimated $19.4 million cost is funded mostly by the FAA Airport Infrastructure Program Grant Fund and partly by the Aviation Construction Fund. The contract is part of the Love Field Expansion Airport Program, a $2.54 billion rebuild of the airport now in the design phase; demolition under the larger program is to begin toward the end of 2027, with construction complete in 2032.
Industry impact & what to watch
The NetJets project shows how fractional and private operators secure ground infrastructure at airports that are simultaneously rebuilding their commercial side. A dedicated terminal and hangar replace existing hangar space, so the three-phase sequence, which starts with demolition of Terminal J and six hangars, determines how much private-aviation capacity is available while construction runs.
The parallel schedules matter for anyone planning around Love Field. The NetJets terminal targets late 2028, while the $2.54 billion expansion program does not begin demolition until toward the end of 2027 and does not finish until 2032. Airline growth, rental-car additions and bridge replacements are all landing on the same airfield during that window.
The next milestones to track are the start of the November 2026 construction work on the NetJets site, the Richmond launch on June 5, 2027, and the point at which demolition under the larger expansion program begins. Each will show whether the phasing holds.
