Running America’s Second-Busiest Airport in Turbulent Times
From TSA staffing shortages to surging fuel costs, it’s been a tough year for the aviation industry. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Chris McLaughlin is trying to stay calm and rise above.
DFW Airport CEO Chris McLaughlin, outside Terminal C.
Photographer: Laura Buckman for Bloomberg BusinessweekChris McLaughlin was trying to fly from Mumbai to Dallas on Feb. 28, but as missiles, rockets and drones filled the skies over the Persian Gulf, he found himself stranded in Doha. Like tens of thousands of other world travelers stuck in transit at the onset of the Iran war, McLaughlin had to get creative. He and a colleague drove several hours to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to catch a flight to London, eventually landing in Texas four days later than expected.
Turns out, even the chief executive officer of one of the world’s busiest airports is at the mercy of today’s travel chaos.