Modeled After Similar Organizations In Florida And
California
Passenger airports in Texas joined forces Wednesday in San
Antonio, announcing the formation of the Texas Commercial Airports
Association (TCAA) to collaborate on airport issues which will
support new economic development and benefit travelers in the
state. "By coming together as an organization, the passenger
airports in Texas can speak through one clear, strong voice," said
Mario Diaz, Director of the Houston Airport System and TCAA
Chairman. "Collectively, we believe we have greater influence than
any one of our airports can have individually."
Texas airports with commercial flights serve more than 135
million passengers annually. Today's news conference brought a key
audience together as the press conference was held in conjunction
with the 7th annual Texas Transportation Forum. The formation of
the TCAA means that for the first time, airports serving commercial
passengers in Texas have joined forces to work on issues of mutual
interest.
"We believe the formation of this association brings more
opportunities for us to network and communicate from an airport
business perspective," said Don Green, director of the Abilene
Regional Airport. "We hope to share information on common concerns
for the benefit of each of our airports, as well as our industry
and the passengers we support."
A number of unifying issues led to the formation of the TCAA,
including federal airport funding mechanisms, development and
infrastructure needs, security policies, business initiatives and
operational concerns. Another key purpose of TCAA is to educate
lawmakers and policy makers on the economic contributions of
airports to their regions. In total, Texas commercial service
airports create more than 714,720 full-time jobs with annual
earnings of approximately $20 billion and $45 billion in annual
economic activity. "Commercial airports drive growth and job
creation in diverse segments of our state, national, and
international economies," said David Cain, Executive Director of
TCAA and a former state senator. "Now with the creation of TCAA,
Texas commercial airports will be able to leverage their resources
to maximize that growth."
"Commercial airports are an important part of Texas' multi-modal
transportation system," said Fred Underwood, Texas Transportation
Commissioner. "We welcome the founding of a new organization that
creates a collective voice for a transportation industry working
tirelessly to promote safe and efficient infrastructure expansion
which is key to the state's economic strength."
"Airports continue to serve as important business drivers for
Texas, which has one of the strongest state economies in the
nation," said Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport CEO
Jeff Fegan, who also serves on the TCAA board. "Besides airline
industry jobs, commercial passenger airports also support many
other industries such as cargo shipping, warehousing, tourism and
commercial development."
TCAA is modeled after similar associations in California and
Florida. In addition to the state's two major airport hubs –
Dallas/Fort Worth International and George Bush Intercontinental
Airport in Houston – membership is open to all commercial
airports with scheduled airline service in Texas. Airports across
Texas are joining in the effort such as Abilene, Austin,
Brownsville, College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, McAllen,
Midland, San Antonio, Waco and more.