De-risking the future — A case study: DFW Airport driving innovation and reducing risk on the road to autonomy

The coming wave of autonomous vehicles (AVs) presents a conundrum. Under the weight of millions of annual passengers, non-aeronautical revenue streams that feature parking and rental cars as top-line items and the business operation needs of today, airports risk erosion of revenue streams and upended operations as AVs come forward. When you consider the pervasive opportunity autonomous technology brings to passenger transport, cargo and ground support equipment, aircraft taxi bots, lawn mowers and delivery robots, the risks are widespread. How might this emerging technology be planned for in an environment that requires years-long planning for infrastructure? How might a future be envisioned where cars park themselves — or cease to require parking because they dutifully return home empty to their garage after a customer drop-off? The questions continue and the answers are unclear. What is clear is that the opportunity to take advantage of these technologies is immense. The time to initiate planning is now, even though solutions are still shrouded in ambiguity. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport's (DFW) mission, ‘Travel. Transformed’ is not an endpoint, but rather a constantly evolving vision of what is possible. Innovation is a highly visible component of DFW's strategic plan, and a foundational element of its approach to meeting key results. This paper highlights DFW's efforts around autonomous technologies and their multi-pronged approach to innovation — an approach that features a discipled process, cross-functional programme management and a steadfast commitment to people.