Governor Richardson Calls Air Transportation System Critical To The State's Development

The NBAA welcomed a proclamation Friday from New Mexico governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) designating September as "Aviation and Aerospace Appreciation Month." The proclamation follows similar, recent declarations highlighting the importance of all aviation, including business aviation, in Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

The New Mexico governor's proclamation points specifically to the ability of the state's publicly owned airports, as well as its general aviation aircraft and pilots to "support a variety of functions vital to New Mexico, including mobility for business…" among other benefits. "New Mexico's governor understands the importance of business aviation in New Mexico," said NBAA President Ed Bolen. "With vast distances between communities, general aviation is often the only practical way for businesses to quickly access the destinations they need to reach."

Gov. Bill Ricardson (D-NM)

Although New Mexico's land area of more than 121,000 square miles makes it the fifth-largest state in the U.S., only Albuquerque has regularly scheduled major airline service. As the governor's proclamation points out, the state's remaining airports are critical for quick transportation for not only for business, but also for other purposes, including emergency medical services, disaster relief coordination, and search-and-rescue services.

In a recent economic study done for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, nearly one-third of respondents said they depend on customers or suppliers who use the state's community airports.

FMI: www.noplanenogain.org