Press Release: TCU Celebrates New Aviation Program with Industry Leaders, F-18 Flyover

PRESS RELEASE

Texas Christian University Celebrates New Aviation Program with High-Flying Campus Event

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (Oct. 28, 2026) — Texas Christian University hosted a soaring celebration to spotlight its new professional aviation program housed in the TCU College of Education, which will educate and train future aviation professionals in a high-demand field.

Special guests at the Oct. 27 evening event included Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. The event also included a panel on the “Future of Aviation Workforce” featuring:

Jose Freig, vice president of international operations, American Airlines
Chris McLaughlin, chief executive officer, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Grant Morris, vice president of flight operations and chief pilot, Southwest Airlines
Robert Allen, chief executive officer, Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership

Panelists and audience members sitting in an auditorium at TCU

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More than 200 regional business and industry leaders and dozens of TCU students attended the Horned Frogs’ celebration. The evening was capped off with a F-18 flyover conducted by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 over the TCU Campus Commons.

B-roll and event photos for newsrooms are available here:

The new B.S. in Professional Aviation offers two concentrations: Aviation Administration, which launched this fall (2026) to prepare students for leadership roles in airlines, airports and aviation organizations, and Professional Pilot (anticipated to launch in fall 2027), which follows a structured pathway aligned with FAA certification. The Aviation Studies minor also launched this fall.

Last year, the State of Texas officially named Fort Worth the “Aviation and Defense Capital of Texas.”

Learn more about TCU’s Professional Aviation degree programs: Texas Christian University Launching Aviation Degree Program to Prepare Next Generation of Industry Leaders

Media Contact:
Holly Ellman
Associate Director of Communication
817.257.NEWS (6397)
news@tcu.edu

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