DFW Airport CEO plans to retire in September

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The longtime chief executive of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport plans to retire in September, and airport directors will begin the search for a replacement.

Jeffrey P. Fegan announced his decision at an airport board meeting Tuesday.

Fegan has worked for the airport for 28 years, the last 19 as CEO.

Airport board Chairman Robert W. Hsueh said he would appoint a group to search for a successor. Fegan will stay until Sept. 1 or until a replacement is on the job.

DFW Airport opened in 1974 halfway between the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth. It is the world's fourth-busiest airport and is undergoing a $2.3 billion program to renovate older terminals. Fort Worth-based American Airlines and its affiliate, American Eagle, are the dominant carriers.

Fegan and American Airlines opposed a move by Southwest Airlines to lift restrictions on flights from Southwest's base at Dallas Love Field. The fight ended in a 2006 deal under which Love Field restrictions will end in 2014.