Largest Online Auction in DFW History Takes Off

It's surplus galore at 5th Dallas-Fort Worth airport event

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) kicked off its fifth online auction Monday, offering hundreds of surplus vehicles and equipment that were used to build the complex's recently-completed International Terminal D and the Skylink people mover system. Portable buildings, office equipment and a variety of audio- visual items said to be in "prime condition and ready for use" are also up for bidding.

In an official release, the airport says it is hoping to raise more than $3 million in the auction, "which would make it the largest online venture in Airport history." The auction runs through February 2 and is available for browsing at www.dfwairport.com or the web site of Rene Bates Auctioneers, the McKinney, Texas firm that handles DFW's online auctions.

DFW began online auctions as a pilot program in 2003, with 70 lots of merchandise netting $50,000. Each proceeding auction set a new record, with the last auction generating more than $500,000 in sales and over five million hits to the host Web sites, according to the release.