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Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Collaborate on Customer Experience Project


Pepperdine Graziadio Business School StudentsThe Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport have completed the “Re-Imagine” project, a consultation-based partnership designed to provide MBA students with real-world experience and generating ideas for future consideration for DFW Airport. As part of the school’s Education to Business (E2B) Program, Pepperdine Graziadio MBA students focused on recommendations that would enhance the DFW Airport customer experience, with particular emphasis on incorporating entertainment attractions and leisure activities, streamlining bag tracking, and expanding the airport’s mobile app, which details security checkpoint wait times, flight status, and mobile ordering from airport restaurants.

The program required students to recast the mental image and concept of DFW Airport in a post-pandemic world. Working alongside senior-level executives, MBA students—many of whom have years of experience in multiple industries—provided recommendations based on hands-on research, interactions, and experiences.

“Graziadio’s E2B program promotes innovation by partnering with industry leaders who bring knowledge and expertise to the table with MBA students who offer a fresh perspective,” said Lynda Palmer, Pepperdine Graziadio’s E2B program director. “DFW Airport is a tremendous partner contributing time and resources to aid Pepperdine MBA students. From the initial briefings and research to the final presentations, all parties benefited from the collaboration and creativity.”

In 2019 the World Airport Traffic Report announced that passenger numbers surpassed 9.1 billion worldwide. As the aviation industry’s decade of consistent growth in global passenger traffic was paused during the coronavirus pandemic, the industry experienced a 58.4 percent decrease in airport passengers in the first half of 2020. DFW Airport—ranked as one of the top 10 busiest airports in the world—witnessed a 48.2 percent decrease in passenger traffic in 2020.

To position DFW Airport for a steady recovery in 2021 and long-term success, Pepperdine Graziadio alumna Courtney Moore (MBA ’18), assistant vice president of terminal experience at DFW Airport, developed a strategy that incorporated MBA students’ expertise, perspectives, and recommendations to re-imagine what an airport can be and what it can offer to travelers.

“With DFW Airport responding to the resumption in passenger traffic from the pandemic and receiving many industry accomplishments, DFW Airport was honored to team up with Pepperdine Graziadio Business School to push the envelope on what it means to be a global leader in aviation and develop creative ideas on what DFW Airport can offer travelers,” said Moore.

Read more about this initiative on the Business Wire website