Jan. 26, 2016
The New Mexico Airport Managers Association (NMAMA), in conjunction with the Aviation Division of the New Mexico Department of Transportation (DOT), hosted Aviation Day on Jan. 22 at the Capitol in Santa Fe, during which resources of the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign played a key role in communicating the general aviation industry’s value to legislators.
No Plane No Gain is jointly sponsored by the National Business Aviation Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Aviation Day featured displays from NBAA, New Mexico Aviation Aerospace Association, New Mexico Pilots Association, Professional Aerospace Contractors Association, New Mexico DOT’s Aviation Division and more.
“Dozens of members of New Mexico’s aviation community were on hand to discuss the impact and importance of aviation in our state,” said Colette Schobbens, NMAMA’s liaison to the New Mexico Municipal League (NMML).
The NMAMA is a subsection of the NMML that aids the improvement of aviation and airport services to municipalities, provides educational opportunities to airport managers and related personnel in the state and assists the NMML by fostering good working relationships with other elected and appointed officials of municipalities within New Mexico.
“NBAA has been a tremendous source of support through its No Plane No Gain resources,” said Schobbens. “No Plane No Gain materials are excellent conversation starters that essentially become educational forums.”
“NBAA finds great value in legislative events like Aviation Day,” said Stacy Howard, NBAA’s Western regional representative. “The No Plane No Gain materials that we create and distribute to legislators deliver a powerful message about business aviation’s significant contribution to the state and national economy.”
According to the 2015 New Mexico Airport System Plan, the state is home to 61 publically owned public- use aviation facilities and hundreds of privately owned airstrips, as well as more than 4,500 pilots.
“New Mexico air transportation has become an important regional, national and international economic link for the state,” said Schobbens. “General aviation accounts for $2.3 billion in economic activity each year and provides over 18,000 jobs statewide.”