Working Nonstop for Tucson

Working Nonstop for Tucson
Discover how the airport helps the economy and community take off 

 

By Danette Bewley, President & CEO 

 

When people think about an airport, they are usually just focused on where they are going. Tucson International Airport (TUS) is so much more than a transportation hub. Our airport is the equivalent of a self-sufficient small city—complete with police and fire, major employers, and commercial real estate development. It is one of the largest economic drivers not only for this region but for the entire state. 

 

From a history of firsts, TUS continues to build its legacy of creating economic prosperity and exceptional service for this community. But we all play a key role in fueling that success every time we fly to or from Tucson. 

 

Ready to take flight
In 1919, Tucson built the first municipal airport in the country, originally located on the Nogales Highway, which is the site of today’s Tucson Rodeo grounds. By the 1930s, Tucson Airport was the largest municipal airport in the nation. Today, TUS and Ryan Airfield (RYN), our general aviation airport, cover more than 10,000 acres of land with 8,282 acres of that at TUS. 

 

Since those early days, the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA), a nonprofit created by the state of Arizona in 1948 to manage, maintain and develop TUS and RYN, has steered the successful growth of the airport. This has included continually increasing air service, providing exceptional customer service and safety, improving, and expanding airport facilities, and managing major land assets that are home to significant operations, such as Raytheon Missile Systems, Bombardier Aerospace, Federal Express and Pima Community College, and through-the-fence operators, such as the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing, among others.  

 

TAA does all of this without receiving any local tax dollars. 

 

In studies conducted in 2017 by Elliott D. Pollack & Company, and in 2019 by the Arizona Department of Transportation, the total economic impact of TAA increased from $7.4 billion to $8.3 billion, up nearly $1 billion or a significant 12%. (Note: Since these statistics are pre-pandemic, we will need to baseline the study to validate our economic impact post-pandemic.) 

 

That growth is indicative of TAA’s strong commitment to this community and its high-energy efforts on multiple fronts. This dedication is reflected in the airport’s current marketing campaign, “Nonstop for Tucson,” encompassing all areas from flight operations to community service to economic development. From billboards along the I-10 in Eloy reminding people to “fly right from home” to radio and broadcast television, we are committed to advocating for our beloved TUS. 

 

Beyond the skies
TAA’s contributions as an economic engine go beyond the skies. Launched in October of 2021, the TAA has developed a Commercial and Industrial Business Implementation Plan that provides insight into a sustainable path to alternative revenue streams by leveraging undeveloped land at both TUS and RYN. Undeveloped land surrounding TUS is a valuable asset in building a center for excellence in Southern Arizona, close in proximity to not just the airport but also interstates 10 and 19, the proposed Sonoran Corridor, Union Pacific Railroad and the Port of Tucson. This land will be extensively marketed as the Sonoran Commerce Center and is the overall effort to attract key industries: manufacturing and supply chain, retail and office space, warehouse and distribution, and aerospace and defense.  

 

Fly TUS
TAA’s growth is driven by a variety of factors; the major factor is air service (most of the revenue stream is derived through the airlines, which provide the resources to fund aeronautical and non-aeronautical projects, programs, and initiatives). Currently, six airlines serve TUS with 18 nonstop destinations and more than 320 airports are served by TUS with a one-stop connection. Our efforts to add more airlines, flights, and frequencies, to more destinations are truly nonstop, and Tucson is a strong market. But it is not as simple as it might seem. The airlines make these decisions to expand air service by the numbers, which must make strategic sense for them in terms of profitability, resources, and staffing. What can everyone do to help? Fly TUS. That part is simple. The more demand we can show to the airlines, the more leverage it gives us to attract additional carriers and flights. 

 

Community involvement
In addition to directly propelling the regional economy, TAA supports a wide variety of community efforts, including scholarships to Pima Community College’s nationally recognized aviation program. The TAA has also developed partnerships with the Tucson Roadrunners, FC Tucson, Sunnyside Foundation, among others, while also sponsoring community events throughout the region. In addition, the TAA coordinated with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Pima County Health Department and Paradigm Labs to continue free COVID-19 testing within the terminal—an initiative that made TUS the first airport in the state to offer free testing for passengers and the surrounding community.  

 

Throughout the pandemic, TUS has been here for the community, providing everything from exceptional safety precautions to onsite vaccinations and testing. TUS was only the fifth airport in the world to earn the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s accreditation for meeting its rigorous standards. Our efforts in that area included installing UV equipment to sanitize escalators and moving walkway handrails and toe-tap buttons for touchless use of the elevators, upgrading to the highest-level HEPA filtration in the HVAC system, changing to hospital-grade cleaning products, improving cleaning equipment to provide more frequent sanitation, and adding plexiglass barriers at all transaction counters. 

 

Flying into the future
TAA is also working nonstop to improve its infrastructure. Currently, TAA is in the midst of the largest airfield project in its history. The estimated $350-plus million Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program is designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a “safety and standards” project. This project will modernize a significant portion of the airfield, which includes a new relocated parallel runway, new or upgraded taxiways and connector systems, upgrades to airfield geometry and navigational equipment, to new FAA standards. An added benefit of the ASE Project is the additional redundancy provided by a second parallel runway, which will serve the region for decades into the future. This project is funded through a combination of federal, state, MILCON (through the Arizona Air National Guard), and the TAA.  

 

While the past two years have not been easy for our community and the aviation industry, I am proud of the continued legacy and impact our airport system has. Our priorities will continue to remain focused on safety, security and customer service, the restoration and attraction of new air service options, and to increase economic development while we continue to navigate the prolonged impacts of the pandemic. Recovery, or at least a new sense of normalcy, is in sight, and with the continued support of our community, we will emerge stronger as we work “Nonstop for Tucson.” We look forward to celebrating our 75th anniversary in 2023 and plan to include our entire community.  

 

TAA continues to grow and support every sector of this community. Together, we can make it even better. I urge everyone to support our airport by flying TUS. Each seat flown from TUS benefits everyone here. When our airport thrives, the community thrives. Nonstop. 

 CLICK HERE to read the entire 2022 Chamber Edge: The Legacy Issue.