With a land area rivaling Manhattan and a passenger volume among the world’s highest, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) faces the immense challenge of modernizing infrastructure, enhancing passenger experience and supporting unprecedented growth—all while maintaining seamless, safe and efficient operations.
At this year’s Geo Week, DFW’s leaders Adan Banda, Tarini Shukla and Kelly Watt shared how the airport continues to leverage geospatial data, 3D modeling, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), digital twins and event-driven architecture for everything from utility management to emergency response and terminal operations.
The Digital Imperative
Like most international airports these days, DFW has become more than simply an airport. It’s essentially a self-contained city. It has its own zip code, fire and police departments and a complex web of utilities and infrastructure. Facing exponential growth—20% year-over-year in recent times—and with major events like the World Cup, DFW must continuously adapt its operations and infrastructure to meet rising expectations for seamless travel and safety.
DFW leadership drives its digital transformation not using technology for its own sake, but instead with a relentless focus on business needs and customer experience. As Shukla emphasized, “Digital transformation starts with business, not technology. It’s about understanding real problems, collaborating with stakeholders and building solutions that deliver value at every step.”
Utility Management: GIS Mapping Meets Digital Twin and Predictive Insights
Managing utilities at DFW remains a monumental task. The airport maintains over 200 miles of subsurface utilities and pressurized water systems. All of these must be mapped, monitored and maintained amidst constant construction and change.
Digitizing Utility Infrastructure
Traditionally, utility management relied on paper records, manual inspections and reactive maintenance. DFW has replaced these outdated methods with a robust integration of GIS mapping and digital twin technology. The DFW team maps every asset, from water valves to pipelines, in 3D with links to real-time data feeds. This allows technicians and managers to visualize the entire utility network, overlay condition assessments and instantly access critical information from any device.
From Reactive to Proactive
DFW’s “smart water strategy” exemplifies this shift. By integrating GIS data, IoT sensors and business systems, the airport can:
- Monitor water flow and pressure in real time
- Detect anomalies and leaks using machine learning models
- Overlay historical work orders and condition assessments for context
- Trigger automated work orders and alerts for rapid response
For example, advanced sensors and satellite GPS now detect leaks by identifying chlorine pockets underground, while autonomous acoustic sensors traverse miles of pipe to pinpoint issues before they surface. This proactive approach minimizes costly disruptions, protects critical infrastructure like runways and supports sustainable operations.
Unified Data, Actionable Insights
All utility data surfaces through a digital twin platform, accessible to everyone from field technicians to leadership. The system provides a live, unified view of infrastructure health to enable faster decision-making and more effective coordination across departments. As Watt noted, “If we can remove paper and digitize, we become more efficient, more proactive and better equipped to handle the demands of a growing airport.”
Terminal Operations: Customized Geospatial Solutions & Digital Twins for Emergency Management
Terminal operations at DFW require a complicated balancing of passenger flow, security, maintenance and emergency preparedness. With new terminals under construction and aging infrastructure in need of modernization, the airport relies on digital twins and geospatial intelligence to keep operations running smoothly and safely.
3D Visualization and Predictive Modeling
DFW’s digital twin platform integrates Building Information Modeling (BIM), GIS and real-time sensor data to create a comprehensive, 3D model of the airport’s terminals and land side operations. This model updates dynamically as work crews maintain, replace or upgrade assets. Automated workflows ensure that the digital twin instantly reflects any change, down to the name of a valve or the location of a sensor. This keeps all stakeholders informed and aligned.
Enhancing Emergency Management
As a top priority. DFW’s Department of Public Safety uses the digital twin to support both pre-incident and post-incident emergency management planning.
Pre-Incident, the DPS team maps and regularly inspect critical field data such as electrical shutoffs, gas disconnects, fuel pipelines and alarm systems. They digitize this information and make it accessible through the digital twin. This allows first responders to quickly locate and assess hazards during an emergency.
After an incident, data from the digital twin and integrated camera feeds (over 5,000 in the terminals alone) support rapid review and continuous improvement of emergency protocols.
Real-Time Operational Awareness
DFW’s event-driven architecture enables real-time monitoring of terminal activity. Fixed lidar sensors and cameras track vehicle and passenger movement, identify congestion points and trigger alerts for abnormal behavior (e.g., unattended vehicles). This data feeds into a centralized operations center, where teams can coordinate responses, update signage and optimize resource allocation to prevent gridlock and ensure passenger safety.
Integrating Pre-Incident Planning, Reality Capture and Dispatch
DFW’s highly customized approach to digital transformation address3w the unique needs of each department while ensuring interoperability and scalability, such as:
- Pre-Incident Planning Maps and Reality Capture: By combining high-resolution 3D scans, GIS data and reality capture technologies, DFW creates detailed pre-incident planning maps not just for emergency management, but for every critical area of the airport. Live data from IoT sensors and camera feeds enrich this data and provide responders with up-to-the-minute situational awareness. Teams scan utility rooms and critical infrastructure in 360 degrees to allow responders to virtually “walk through” spaces and plan interventions without setting foot on site. Integrated field data from regular inspections ensure that all critical points-shutoffs, alarms, structural details remain up to date and immediately accessible.
- Dispatch and Response Readiness: DFW integrates its digital twin platform tightly with dispatch systems. When an incident occurs, dispatchers can instantly access relevant maps, camera feeds and asset data to equip responders with the information they need to act quickly and effectively. Automated alerts and workflows streamline communication, reduce response times and improve overall readiness.
Continuous Improvement & Stakeholder Engagement Equates to Business Impact
DFW’s commitment to stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement has secured its digital success. The team develops solutions collaboratively with end users to make sure that tools are intuitive, relevant and widely adopted. Shukla emphasized, “By making stakeholders part of the solution at every step, we ensure that digital transformation delivers real, sustainable value.”
As a result, DFW’s digital evolution delivers tangible business benefits. Automated data collection, predictive analytics and unified platforms reduce manual effort, eliminate data silos and enable smarter resource allocation.
Real-time monitoring, proactive maintenance and rapid emergency response capabilities minimize risks and protect critical infrastructure.
By reducing congestion, improving way finding, and ensuring seamless operations, DFW enhances passenger satisfaction and drives increased revenue. Estimates suggest that these operational improvements could yield $8–16 million in added value by reducing disruptions and boosting concession sales.
Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead
DFW’s journey offers valuable lessons for any organization embarking on digital transformation:
- Start with Strategy: Technology must serve business objectives, not the other way around. Develop a clear plan, prioritize use cases and engage stakeholders from the outset.
- Focus on Data Quality: High-quality, well-structured data is the foundation of effective AI, predictive analytics and digital twins.
- Embrace Open Architecture: Systems must be interoperable and scalable to support long-term growth and evolving needs.
- Plan for Change Management: Digital transformation is a continuous process. Invest in training, change management and stakeholder engagement to ensure lasting success.
As DFW prepares for future growth, its commitment to digital innovation ensures that it will remain a leader in safe, efficient and customer-centric airport operations.
For more on DFW’s digital transformation, visit the Geo Week keynote session: “DFW Airport’s Digital Evolution: 3D, AI/ML, and Event-Driven Architecture in Action.” (https://www.geo-week.com/session/keynote-dfw-airports-digital-evolution-3d-ai-ml-and-event-driven-architecture-in-action/)