Contacts:
Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org
Patrick Dunne, (202) 783-9263, pdunne@nbaa.org
Washington, DC, September 10, 2010 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today welcomed a proclamation 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.”
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.
The economic benefits from business aviation that are outlined in the proclamation parallel those detailed through the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign at www.noplanenogain.org, which is sponsored jointly by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
New Mexico businessman Neil Hise of CEMCO, Inc., in Belen, NM, was featured by the program last year, explaining the value of business aviation for his company. Read the profile.
View a copy of the New Mexico governor’s proclamation.
###
Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
Members of the media may receive NBAA Press Releases immediately via e-mail. To subscribe to the NBAA Press Release e-mail list, submit the online form at www.nbaa.org/news/pr/subscribe.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.