Aviation View | Volume 1, Issue 2

170 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 HUSBAND AMARILLO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT R ick Husband Amarillo International Airport – named in honor of the late Amarillo native and astronaut Rick Husband – is located in a west Texas city that’s growing quickly. Amarillo’s population has increased nearly five percent since 2010. It’s now approaching the 200,000 mark and has many more visitors each year. One reason for those visits is the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Only 25 miles from downtown, this 800-foot-deep canyon extends across 30,000 acres. There are about 15,000 acres of trails to hike or bike and a zip line that offers thrill seekers a ride across the chasm. According to Michael Conner, Director of Aviation at the airport, “It’s probably the largest attraction here in the area. In fact, Palo Duro Canyon visitor numbers (by calendar year) come in at 2020 - 323,360; 2019 – 388,846; 2018 – 398,028; 2017 – 409,507. It’s the second largest canyon in the U.S. so it gets a lot of traffic and it’s a state park, so it’s well cared for. There is camping there and hiking and GROWING WITH THE CITY IT SERVES