Proponents bring helicopter, balloon to Capitol to promote aviation industry

by Adnan Alam

By MELANIE KISER
Cronkite News Service

PHOENIX (Wednesday, Jan. 20) _ Arizona’s aviation industry is bracing for impact as state leaders look to close the gaping budget deficit.

Worried about further cuts to the state aviation fund, which provides grants for design, construction and maintenance of airports, proponents descended on the statehouse Wednesday to highlight the industry’s economic impact.

“Aviation in Arizona is a powerful economic engine,” said Joe Husband, city of Phoenix aviation superintendent and a past president of the Arizona Airports Association. “It translates into jobs and tax revenue, and we want to make sure the state legislators understand that aviation can be there to help with the recovery.”

Advocates said aviation-related activities directly generate $18.2 billion of economic activity and 230,000 jobs statewide each year. Taking spending multipliers into account, the economic impact of the industry is $38.5 billion annually, they said.

Husband and others used the fifth-annual Arizona Aviation Day, which featured a helicopter and hot-air balloon, to highlight aviation’s role in bringing more than 8 million visitors to Arizona annually and in mail delivery, emergency response, business and military operations.

Members of the airports association also recommended minimizing further cuts to the state aviation fund, which draws its revenue from aviation-related taxes and registration fees. While cuts for this fiscal year and next haven’t been finalized, leaders cut more than $36.4 million from the fund in fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

The immediate effects of decreased funding can and will be seen on the runways and terminals of Arizona’s 84 airports, said Jeffrey Tripp, airport projects supervisor at Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport.

“What the highway fund does for the roads the aviation fund does for airports,” he said.

Grand Canyon National Park Airport, Arizona’s third-busiest and only state-owned airport, is among many whose expansions have been postponed due to lack of funding, said Mike Halpin, the airport’s manager.

Heavy vehicle traffic within the park has officials aiming to bring more tourists in by plane and shuttle them around, Halpin said. This won’t happen for at least another year, as the cuts have necessitated the elimination of any state funded aviation project, he said.

Husband said that in the long run continued cuts “could potentially affect the ability to maintain and expand the aviation infrastructure in Arizona.” However, he doesn’t any impact on public safety.

“Safety is always the No. 1 priority in aviation,” Husband said. “No one will allow a situation to occur if it’s not completely safe.”

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Web Links:

_ Arizona Aviation Day: www.azaviationday.org
_ Arizona Airports Association: www.azairports.org

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PHOTOS: Click thumbnails to see full-resolution images.

AVIATION IMPACT

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A hot-air balloon rises outside the Arizona State Capitol lawn during Arizona Aviation Day on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. Using a helicopter and the balloon as exhibits, proponents promoted the aviation industry’s economic impact and urged lawmakers to prevent further cut from the State Aviation Fund. (Cronkite News Service Photo by Melanie Kiser)

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Gov. Jan Brewer chats with those attending Arizona Aviation Day on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. Using a helicopter and hot-air balloon as exhibits, proponents promoted the aviation industry’s economic impact and urged lawmakers to prevent further cut from the State Aviation Fund. (Cronkite News Service Photo by Griselda Nevarez)

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A helicopter sits on the Arizona State Capitol lawn during Arizona Aviation Day on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. Using the helicopter and a hot-air balloon as exhibits, proponents promoted the aviation industry’s economic impact and urged lawmakers to prevent further cut from the State Aviation Fund. (Cronkite News Service Photo by Griselda Nevarez)

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Joe Husband, city of Phoenx aviation superintendent, speaks at Arizona Aviation Day, an event designed to promote the economic importance of the aviation industry to Arizona. He and others urged lawmakers to prevent further cut from the State Aviation Fund. (Cronkite News Service Photo by Griselda Nevarez)