Aviation View - Oct 2023

65 AVIATION VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 FOUR CORNERS REGIONAL AI RPORT Operational Upgrades on the Radar “We are at the tail end of a massive amount of work that we completed over the last few years,” Lewis points out. The airport has seen a complete overhaul of one of its main runways. “We also moved and relocated the taxiways associated with that runway in order to increase the runway reference code to handle larger and faster aircraft. Distance is required between the parallel taxiway and the runway. So we did a lot of work on the runway safety area to meet higher standards that entailed grading and lighting changes,” Lewis details. This work has a distinct purpose, Lewis relays. The hope is that a commercial airline will be drawn back to the airport and one of those airlines that are currently being courted by Lewis and his staff is SkyWest Airlines. “It is one of those primary carriers that we “Farmington has been at the forefront of a wide effort in the state of New Mexico to promote outdoor recreation,’ Lewis says. “ A number of years ago the state looked at other regions that were at the time far ahead of New Mexico in terms of promoting and capitalizing on outdoor recreation opportunities.” This, Lewis highlights, was a bit of a wake- up call. The State of New Mexico and city leadership in Farmington took an inventory of what it had to offer, focusing on the impressive list of natural attractions and boundless beauty the state had to offer. “We all know that the state is absolutely beautiful, has plenty of opportunity for all different kinds of outdoor recreation as well as boasting the beautiful weather to support this type of recreational outdoors lifestyle,’ Lewis reflects. The airport came into full view as the tourist picture ramped up and now as Lewis describes it, “ The airport is one of the key gateways into the Four Corners area.” “This area has some of the best fly fishing for trout, known as the ‘Gold Medal Trout Water’ that draws people from all over the world. There are guided packages as well as opportunities for individuals to take advantage of the river on their own.” Lewis goes on to pinpoint a number of unparalleled tourist opportunities, from the world-renowned archeological site, Chaco Canyon Culture Center, to Mesa Verde which houses a number of ancient dwellings on display for residents and tourists to gaze at and absorb the magnitude of thousands of years of history that lie in the canyon walls of this beautiful area of the country. “It is pretty amazing what we have here,” he adds. “This area has mountains with pine forests, like Colorado, flat and farmland areas, like Kansas, and there are a lot of major rivers that flow through here which all add up to an amazingly diverse outdoor experience in New Mexico.”