What Separates Successful Airport Capital Programs From the Rest

Airport capital programs are growing larger, more complex, and more visible — all while airports remain fully operational and under intense public scrutiny.

In this episode of the AviationPros Podcast, Joe Petrie sits down with Vincent Lewis, Assistant Director of Capital and Infrastructure Development for the City of Dallas Department of Aviation, to explore what it really takes to lead large airport capital programs successfully.

Lewis shares practical insight into early warning signs that signal trouble, how to manage multiple interdependent projects at once, why stakeholder alignment matters more than perfect plans, and how airport leaders can balance long-term strategy with day-to-day urgency. The conversation also covers funding tradeoffs, risk across disciplines, realistic transparency, and what will ultimately separate successful airport capital programs from struggling ones over the next decade.