Kevin Brown
Located less than 10 miles outside of town, the Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport has helped shape Southlake’s success. After opening in 1974, the connective hub quickly gained momentum, thanks to its central placement in the Metroplex and potential for future growth, which has trickled out to its surrounding cities with an annual $37 billion economic impact in North Texas.
The sheer quantity of flights coming in and out of its 164 gates make DFW Airport stand out. Ranked fourth in global flights and 15th in global passengers with 73 million in 2019, DFW Airport has become an industry leader. And with a landmass larger than Manhattan as well as recent accolades like “Best Large Airport In North America” according to Airports Council International, “2019 Airport of the Year” according to Air Transport World and one of the top three best large airports in North America according to “USA Today 10 Best” Readers’ Choice 2020, it’s clear DFW Airport is doing more than getting its customers where they need to go.
Part of that prosperity is a result of DFW Airport’s dedication to innovation. While forward thinking has been woven into the fabric of the airport’s development, DFW Airport made another step into the future in 2018 by announcing the birth of its innovation team. With programs more reminiscent of a sci-fi flick than an airport agenda, the innovation team has set its focus on providing new ways for the organization to grow, all of which provide a better experience for those who fly in and out.
STARTING THE TEAM
It’s easy to get lost in the potential of defining innovation. The loose concept of developing new ideas can be a daunting task for those who don’t have a clear goal. Thankfully, even before the airport announced this new team, DFW Airport stated its clear interest in staying on the cutting edge. But before getting swept away by future technologies, the innovation team, led by Executive Vice President Paul Puopolo, set a mission for their universal goal.
“Our No. 1 priority is launching new products and services that are going to increase the consumer experience, increase revenue and also make us operationally efficient,” Puopolo said in an interview on “NextGen Ninja” in July 2019.
After the team was announced in 2018 and Puopolo set out his vision, he started developing his troupe. DFW Airport’s Vice President of Innovation Jodie Brinkerhoff was one of the earliest additions, coming in last March, which she says was an easy transition thanks to DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue’s standing dedication to the mission.
“Innovation is a core belief in the DFW brand,” Brinkerhoff says. “Our CEO is very driven and open to trying new things, and I think that gives us an advantage.”
Coming from Mastercard’s global innovation unit, Brinkerhoff says she enjoys collaborating with others to resolve challenging problems. And the opening at DFW Airport provided an avenue to explore that in a new market.
“I love enabling employees to think outside the box,” Brinkerhoff says. “I was never really aware that airports were where you could go to work and that there would be so many opportunities. It’s a very cool place to work.”
Since Brinkerhoff joined, the team has grown to include nine employees, and each of them use the same model to test out new ideas.
“We [test innovative ideas] by coming up with concepts, bringing them into test environments and then hopefully commercializing them,” Brinkerhoff says. “What we have learned in the discovery process is that if we don’t start thinking about this now, three years from now we would be very much behind the eight ball. We have to start to understand what are the opportunities across the airport where we can create efficiencies.”
Kevin Brown
LIVING IN THE FUTURE
DFW Airport's innovative projects, like autonomous vehicles, data-driven decision-making with AI technology and biometrics, have made large headlines over the past several months, thanks to the current technology now undergoing planning and testing. And while some of these ideas and exact executions are still in the idea state, many others have a visible presence at DFW Airport. Because of the physical space available, the airport acts as a testing ground for groundbreaking technologies and systems.
“We have such a large landmass that enables us to do things differently and think about things differently,” Brinkerhoff says.
While space is not an issue, the innovation team must prioritize these projects to ensure they are not only finding solutions to present-day problems but also determining ways to relieve pressure points that may arise in the future.
“We maintain a portfolio of projects,” Brinkerhoff says. “You have to think about the core business in the next six to 24 months, so we will have a portion of projects that are in there. At the other end of the spectrum, further down the road, we have to think about projects that are revolutionary in nature.”
Autonomous vehicles, while still being tested, have a visible presence for those who fly in and out of DFW Airport. Over the holidays, DFW Airport rolled out its first autonomous shuttle that would transport passengers. This self-driving bus, a product of EasyMile Inc., has the ability to pick up 12 passengers at a time in the remote south parking lot and transport them to a main bus hub.
“At the airport, we are looking at things in terms of what is possible,” Brinkerhoff says. “Across the organization, our business leaders are looking at how we might be able to deliver a more frictionless experience for customers.”
But that’s not the only autonomous vehicle piloted program. In June, Terminal D’s recheck area introduced the use of Vanderlande’s Fleet machines. These robotic vehicle solutions, which transferred the baggage of those who arrived from international flights and connected through DFW, allowed customers to identify their airline with a touch screen, self-drop their baggage and rest assured that it will be transported to the appropriate baggage belt. These small yet high-tech additions handled nearly 450 bags per hour and provided both a relief for airport staff and a better customer experience, according to a DFW Airport press release.
"This particular application is both exciting and challenging for us, because Fleet will be working in a passenger area," Vanderlande's Executive Vice President Airports Andrew Manship says via press release. "Vanderlande believes Fleet aligns with the airport's vision, because they have a strong commitment to improving the passenger experience, as well as showcasing the latest innovations."
Brinkerhoff knows that there is more room for growth in this realm, especially as autonomous vehicles become more mainstream.
“We know the future of mobility and technology is going to change how we think about transportation,” Brinkerhoff says.
DFW Airport is also partnering with the TSA’s Innovation Task Force to test a new employee screening technology that can detect both metallic and nonmetallic objects, according to a DFW Airport press release. This, in turn, strengthens airport security while also improving the screening process. By teaming up with the screening technology company Thruvision, as well as using X-ray machines, DFW’s Executive Vice President for Operations Chad Makovsky says the airport can enhance security while also creating a more seamless experience for employees.
“This technology demonstration project is just part of our commitment to implement enterprise risk management best practices that take advantage of new and emerging technologies serving the aviation industry,” Makovsky says via press release.
By working with technology leaders and looking for ways to integrate them into their own solutions, Brinkerhoff says that DFW Airport is able to move faster and take a leading charge.
“Nothing these days happens without really strong partnerships,” Brinkerhoff says. “The DFW ecosystem proves that good work comes from partnership.”
BALANCING WHAT’S AHEAD
While these technologies are still considered new, the airport’s innovation team is interested in looking at the latest emerging technologies to see what’s on the horizon. In January, DFW Airport team members, including two members of the innovation team, traveled to Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronic Show to see what could be next.
“[We say] let’s go out there and grab that technology, play with it for the purpose of understanding it, then we can work across and lay out a vision,” Brinkerhoff says. “Our job is to keep a finger on the pulse. While this technology may not be on the streets tomorrow, we need to be thinking about those things today.”
Today’s construction projects and updates are being created to leave room for these technologies to be added over time. Terminal F, anticipated to open by 2025, started its design process last year after it was announced, but Brinkerhoff knows just how much can change in technology over five years and the potential it brings to the passenger experience.
“How do we build with enough flexibility in mind to adapt to the most current technology when that building opens?” Brinkerhoff asks. “It’s all a mentality. We have people throughout the organization passionate to see the future but also enable new experiences.”
She says the innovation team looks for how to meet customers’ growing expectations for a faster, more efficient and personalized experience filled with options for the airport’s different segments of customers.
“The beauty in this effort is bringing all that together in a space that’s transformative and really pushes the envelope of the art of what’s possible,” Brinkerhoff says.
Thankfully, not all that pressure is left on the innovation team. Brinkerhoff says that part of their process is giving other teams throughout the airport the tools so they can also drive innovation in their own roles.
“The goal is to really build an innovation muscle across the organization that helps us do things faster as we march toward the future,” Brinkerhoff says.
While that muscle is already pretty strong, both DFW Airport customers and citizens of the surrounding areas have even more to benefit from as the airport continues to lead the charge in its industry.