DFW Airport drops plans for wash stations for Muslim travelers

Abbott said on social media Friday he had ordered a review of state grants at DFW Airport and referred DFW to the U.S. Department of Transportation for investigation.

“Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities,” Abbott said.

The airport had been considering a proposal to install Islamic foot wash stations inside some Terminal D restrooms, The Dallas Morning News previously reported. The project consisted of adding ablution stations to existing concourse-level restrooms in Terminal D, one men’s ablution station in the existing men’s restroom and one women’s ablution station in the existing women’s restroom, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. 

Wash stations like the ones the project proposed are commonly used to perform Wudu, a ritual purification practice in Islam. DFW Airport already offers wash stations in its Terminal D interfaith chapel.

“Like all proposed projects, the airport ultimately considers the operational benefits, customer service impacts, operational risks and costs before approving them,” Heath Montgomery, a spokesperson for the airport, told The News in an email Friday evening. 

“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.” 

When asked whether existing ablution stations in the interfaith chapel would be affected, Montgomery said via text that “I’m not aware of any additional proposed changes at this time.”