By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
DALLAS – Each day at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, more than 200,000 travelers move through a sprawling transportation hub that ranks among the busiest in the world.
With seven runways, five terminals and more than 160 gates spread across nearly 27 square miles, the airport operates like a city of its own – complete with police, fire and medical services – and serves more than 86 million passengers annually.
For University of Nebraska at Kearney alumnus Kellen Skarka, keeping this “city” running safely and smoothly is all in a day’s work.
As manager of airfield operations, Skarka oversees the vast network of runways, taxiways and surrounding infrastructure that make flight possible. From pavement conditions to signage, markings and lighting, his team ensures everything meets strict Federal Aviation Administration standards.
“We make sure the airfield is constantly being inspected, reinspected and corrected, creating a safe and efficient environment for public transportation,” Skarka explained.
It’s a responsibility that carries national and even global implications. With DFW ranking third in the world for both operations and passenger traffic, decisions made on its airfield can ripple across the entire aviation system.
“The decisions we make impact the national airspace system,” Skarka said. “So, whatever happens here may affect something in L.A. or Denver or Atlanta.”
Managing a moving puzzle
No two days look the same at one of the world’s busiest airports. Skarka and his team of about 50 employees – with a dozen or so working at any given time – divide the massive airfield into east and west sections, each with its own control tower. Their work is a constant cycle of inspection and response.
“Consider the airport like a puzzle that’s constantly trying to scramble itself,” Skarka said. “Every day we have to put the pieces back together and make sure it stays put together as best we can. And we’re pretty good at that here.”
That puzzle can include everything from routine maintenance to issues like wildlife on the runway, emergency landings or severe weather. Expecting the unexpected is part of the job.
“We have Plan A, B, C, D, E, F, G and so on,” Skarka said. “We just have to plan for the unpredictable.”
Despite the demands, it’s exactly the kind of workplace he’s always wanted.
“I enjoy the space and the ability to be outside,” he said. “Working in aviation, it’s such a dynamic environment. Every day at an international airport is completely different from the last day.”
A lifelong interest in aviation
Skarka’s path to one of the world’s largest airports began in central Nebraska.
A Kearney native, he developed an early fascination with aviation, attending air shows across the state and beyond with his family.
“There’s just something about it – the speed, the freedom, the vantage point from up there,” he said.
That passion led him to UNK, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation systems management in 2009. The decision to be a Loper was an easy one.
“Growing up in Kearney, I knew that UNK had a strong aviation program, so that piqued my interest right away,” he said. “I knew that program would give me a good starting point for my career.”
On top of that, he already was quite familiar with campus. His parents and sister also are UNK graduates, and his mother Lori is a longtime employee who currently serves as assistant director of Military and Veterans Services.
“Being at UNK was kind of like being at home,” he said. “It had a personal feel, smaller classes and great instructors across the board. It was a very comfortable environment.”
Skarka was involved in Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Eta Rho, a professional aviation organization, while earning both his degree and private pilot license.
Service and perspective
During his time at UNK, Skarka also began preparing for military service. After graduating, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
His career as an air command and control officer included stateside assignments in Virginia and California, as well as multiple overseas deployments.
“It took this Nebraska boy all over the country and the world,” he said.
Skarka completed three combat deployments, twice in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and once in Kuwait during Operation Inherent Resolve. He transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserve in 2016 and has participated in several joint-multinational training events in South Korea.
The experience shaped his worldview and his approach to leadership.
“It definitely gave me perspective,” said Skarka, who continues to serve as a major in the Marine Corps Reserve. “You get to see the full spectrum of what the world has to offer – the good, the bad and the ugly. It also gave me confidence and pride. It makes an individual much more mature than they ever could have been.”
Charting a course to Texas
After returning to Nebraska, Skarka began his civilian aviation career as an operations specialist at Lincoln Airport before setting his sights on something bigger.
“I was ready for more,” he explained. “I loved my time in Lincoln – it was a great starting block for me – but I wanted to go bigger. And to find that, you really need to be at a larger hub airport.”
That next step brought him to Dallas Fort Worth, an airport expansive enough to have its own zip code. The largest carbon-neutral airport in the world, DFW offers nonstop passenger flights to over 270 destinations around the globe and serves as a major distribution hub, moving more than 850,000 tons of cargo each year.
Skarka joined as an assistant airfield operations officer in 2024 and was promoted to manager about a year later. In that role, he’s quick to point out that aviation careers extend beyond the cockpit.
“Not everybody has to be a pilot, and I’m evidence of that,” he said. “I’m still around aviation and aircraft and runways and taxiways just the same, I’m just doing it from a support side.”
From operations and maintenance to security and administration, the field offers a wide range of pathways for students – something he’s eager to share.
“There are so many aviation opportunities,” Skarka said. “Any time I can talk about aviation, especially Midwest aviation, I’m happy to do it.”
The UNK alumnus is one example of where a passion for flight can lead.
