Aviation View | Volume 1, Issue 2

138 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 employment in North America. Manufacturing & Logistics is a key focus of industry here on both sides of the border taking advantage of the airport’s free trade zones.” By sheer size alone, El Paso International is an engine for economic growth and prosperity. The airport covers 6,670 acres and has three runways: the main runway, 4/22, is 12,020 feet and is equipped with ILS and GPS instrumentation; 8R/26L runs 9,025 feet; while 8L/26R is 5,499 feet long and serves the general aviation population. The terminal has 15 gates and a variety of first-class amenities. Pre- pandemic there was a traffic flow of 3.5 million passengers. “Over the past five years we’ve added four new airlines—Allegiant, Frontier, Alaska and Boutique,” says Rodriguez. “This opened up additional destinations to include Orlando, San Diego, Seattle, and Charlotte N.C. The flight to Charlotte is a new destination that we did not have before the pandemic, and it considerably enhances our region’s access to the east coast, Europe, and the Caribbean. El Paso has exceeded the national average when it comes to recovery of passengers compared to 2019. Our recovery is well underway with significantly more traffic over the past four months leading up to a very busy summer. ” The airport’s new flight options are being complemented by recent multi-million dollar improvements designed to enhance the customer experience. Terry Sharpe, El Paso Assistant Director of Development says, “We’ve invested in a lot of upgrades in the last few years. We replaced all 15 jet bridges at the terminal in 2018. We opened a $30 million state-of-the-art checked baggage inspection system, which will be able to handle our capacity for at least the next 20 years. In the concourses, we expanded restrooms, expanded