DFW Airport Opens World's Largest Central Receiving and Distribution Center to Streamline Terminal Deliveries
DALLAS-FORT WORTH, Texas - Dallas Fort Worth International Airport has opened a new 90,000-square-foot logistics facility designed to reduce delivery truck traffic around its terminals while improving how food, retail merchandise and other supplies reach airport businesses.
DFW Airport and Bradford Airport Logistics celebrated the opening of the Central Receiving and Distribution Center (CRDC) in late September 2026, describing it as the largest facility of its kind in the airport industry.
The center will serve restaurants, retail stores, airport lounges, premium passenger spaces, janitorial operations and other service providers throughout DFW's terminals.
Instead of allowing hundreds of individual supplier deliveries to enter the airport's secured operating areas each day, the new facility provides a central location where goods can be received, screened, organized and consolidated before being delivered to their destinations.
The system is designed to reduce congestion on terminal roadways, limit the number of commercial vehicles entering sensitive airport areas and improve delivery schedules for businesses operating inside the airport.
“The Central Receiving and Distribution Center is one of the most transformational investments DFW has made in the logistics operation that support our terminals,” said Ken Buchanan, DFW's executive vice president and chief revenue officer.
“It fundamentally changes how goods move across the airport and allows our concession partners to spend less time managing deliveries and more time focused on serving customers.”
DFW currently offers more than 200 dining, shopping and premium passenger experiences across its terminals. The new logistics operation is intended to support those businesses as the airport continues expanding.
Under the centralized distribution model, suppliers deliver products to the CRDC rather than directly to individual terminal businesses.
After security screening, products are grouped into larger shipments and transported throughout the airport using dedicated delivery vehicles operating on scheduled routes.
The approach allows delivery vehicles to carry fuller loads while reducing unnecessary trips along terminal roadways.
Airport concessionaires will also have access to technology that provides improved tracking and visibility into their incoming deliveries.
Facility Includes Specialized Freezer and Recycling Operations
The new center includes several features designed specifically for the challenges of airport logistics.
Among them is what airport officials describe as the world's largest walk-in freezer within a U.S. airport central receiving and distribution center.
The facility also includes a custom screening system that allows refrigerated and frozen products to undergo security inspections while remaining temperature controlled.
The system is designed so security screening personnel do not have to work inside the refrigerated area.
Another feature is an integrated on-site recycling operation, which DFW and Bradford Airport Logistics describe as the first of its kind in the airport industry.
The recycling system will support the collection and processing of materials returning from airport terminals, including plastics, metals, paper and glass.
By incorporating recycling into the same logistics network used to distribute products, airport officials expect to improve the efficiency of both incoming deliveries and outgoing recyclable materials.
Bradford Airport Logistics to Operate the Center
Bradford Airport Logistics will manage the facility in partnership with DFW Airport, overseeing receiving, security screening and distribution services for terminal businesses.
David Fitzgerald, CEO of Bradford Airport Logistics, said the company has helped develop centralized receiving and distribution operations at airports in the United States and internationally.
“We are proud to operate this showcase facility, the world's largest airport CRDC, on behalf of DFW,” Fitzgerald said.
The new operation comes as DFW continues expanding its dining, shopping and passenger amenities to accommodate growth in North Texas.
Airport officials said the centralized distribution system will help support future expansion while keeping much of the movement of supplies and commercial deliveries away from passenger areas.
