Chris McLaughlin serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). He oversees the management, operations, planning, and development of the third-busiest commercial airport in the world.

Located between the owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW offers nonstop service to over 250 destinations across five continents and is consistently recognized for exceptional customer service. The airport supports over 600,000 direct and indirect jobs, amounting to a payroll of $38 billion, and generating $24 billion in visitor spending and $5 billion in state
and local tax revenue annually.

Mr. McLaughlin has decades of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. He most recently served as DFW’s Executive Vice President of Operations since 2021, managing the airport’s largest division. Before joining DFW, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Denver International Airport. Prior to his career in airport management, Mr. McLaughlin directed the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Office of Security Operations, where he played a key role in establishing the TSA PreCheck program. He began his aviation career with Air Wisconsin Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

Mr. McLaughlin graduated with honors from Connecticut College, earning a
Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Spanish. He currently serves on
the boards of the United Way of Tarrant County and Marlee’s Smile.