Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport says it will not move forward with a proposal to add ablution washing stations at its international terminal, a decision announced the same day Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a review of state grant funding to the airport.
Ablution is a washing ritual performed by Muslims before prayer. The airport said it had been evaluating an internal proposal to add a set of stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D.
What the airport said
In a statement provided Friday, the airport said it weighs operational benefits, customer service impacts, risks and costs before approving any project.
"While that evaluation was planned, the airport accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week and has determined not to proceed with the project as it would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits," the statement said.
Katie Chaumont, the airport's assistant vice president of communications, had said earlier in the week that DFW has offered an ablution washing station on the post-security side of the international terminal "for years without concerns," and that the proposal would have expanded that service to one additional set of restrooms.
Two ablution stations were added to Terminal D's Interfaith Chapel as part of upgrades completed in 2019, which also included added space for scriptures and holy texts, shelving for shoe storage and kneelers.
What the governor ordered
Abbott announced Friday that he had directed a review of all state grants to entities operating Texas airports, including DFW and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, for possible revocation of active grant funds and denial of future ones.
He also referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation and enforcement, and wrote to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy asking that the department and the Federal Aviation Administration review the airports' religious facilities.
"These ablution facilities appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion. That is illegal," Abbott said in the announcement. "Both airports are government-owned facilities.
