ELKO REGIONAL AIRPORT A SMALL BUT MIGHTY AIRPORT IN ONE OF THE LARGEST COUNTIES IN THE COUNTRY WWW.FLYELKONEVADA.COM
ELKO REGIONAL AIRPORT A SMALL BUT MIGHTY THE LARGEST COUNT AT A GLANCE ELKO REGIONAL AIRPORT WHAT: F ull-service commercial airport with upgrades planned and an economic expansion tailored to enhance tourism and business potential at the airport and within the surrounding community WHERE: E lko, Nevada WEBSITE: w ww.flyelkonevada.com PLANNED CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE RAI 1 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08
Y AIRPORT IN ONE OF TIES IN THE COUNTRY It’s my home,” Jim Foster, Airport Manager of Elko Regional Airport, proclaims. This is a fitting statement that best describes Foster’s commitment to a dynamic commercial airport, small but pushing well beyond its weight. Foster has dedicated many years to Elko Regional and has been instrumental in guiding its growth over the decades in the various positions he has held at an airport that is so close to his heart. ISING THE PROFILE OF AN ALREADY DYNAMIC AIRPORT. 2 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08
Setting out to work at this thriving city-owned airport represented the first step on the aviation ladder for Foster. It also served as a career move that he made right out of college. Full throttle to today, Foster still holds the same degree of excitement and love for the airport and the role that he plays. “I graduated from high school here in Elko, Nevada, and ended up moving to Boise, Idaho, to go to school. With family ties back home, I moved back and put in an application for a seasonal job with the City of Elko, not knowing anything about aviation,” Foster begins. “I caught the aviation bug pretty young,” he reflects. “After around two years, I was offered a full-time position. From there, I did another two years and got into the operations and maintenance side of the house, which I did for approximately 15 years. After so many years learning about the ins and outs of airport operations, maintenance, and other areas of aviation, Foster increased his knowledge base further by taking as many classes as time would permit. Advanced study paid off, and Foster was offered the Assistant Manager position with Elko Regional.After just a year in this new position, as fate would have it, the Airport Manager position opened up, and Foster wasted no time applying. “I was hired for that position in 2017 and have held the Airport Manager position ever since,” he relays. Excited about the airport’s potential and the continued role he can play, Foster has ensured future success by prioritizing aviation-related projects to be completed over the next few years that will steer the airport down the right aviation path. With a clear focus on a master capital infrastructure plan, Foster is prioritizing work to be done around the airport and also turning his attention to business attraction in and around the airport on lands that are available to lease. THE AIRPORT AND THE CITY BEHIND IT Foster is well aware that Elko Regional Airport is, for many, the first impression they may have of Elko and the surrounding region as they fly in. It is for this reason that Foster is quick to point out the assets that the city boasts, while he is hard at work to facilitate airport initiatives to help align with local tourist and business growth potential. “Elko Regional Airport is a commercial service, part 139 certified airport located in Northwestern Nevada,” he describes. “We have two runways, with one of those runways being our main commercial runway at 7457 feet long. The other runway is 3012 feet long.” 3 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08 ELKO REGIONAL AIRPORT
Elko Regional currently has commercial air service provided by SkyWest Airlines, through the Delta connection. The airport offers a daily overnight service to Salt Lake City and a midday service on different days of the week to Salt Lake City. “We have between 65 and 70 based aircraft, and the airport is owned and operated by the city and is run as an enterprise fund,” he adds. The necessity of ensuring a well-run and wellequipped airport is especially pivotal when it comes to the success of the main economic driver in the region: gold production. “We are one of the top three largest gold producers in the world,” Foster states. “We are essentially the bedroom county for the mining community, where a lot of the support entities are located in the city of Elko. It is our largest employer.” “Most of the industry’s corporate offices are located in Henderson, Nevada, and so the flights there come in from there,” Foster explains. Although traditionally a business market, Foster points out that Elko and the county are trying to transition into more of a tourist destination, with an emphasis on eco-tourism in particular. With this goal 4 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08
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in mind, the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority, the airport, and the city are helping to drive more tourism through marketing efforts. “We want to eventually become a one-stop shop.” “Although we do have hotels and casinos here in Elko, what we are [actively marketing] is the tremendous amount of outdoor activity and recreational things we can provide, like the Ruby Mountains located to the south of us that offer alpine lakes, hiking, camping, and fishing opportunities. Within an hour’s distance, there are at least five or six reservoirs or lakes you could get to,” Foster outlines. AVIATION PROJECTS FLYING HIGH Foster is also busy at work updating the airport’s Airport Capital Improvement Program (ACIP), and one of the key items on the airport agenda has recently been completed. “We just finished a $5.5 million apron reconstruction project where we removed some of our failing concrete for a commercial apron and replaced it with asphalt.” “We have another one that we are just waiting on with funding through the FAA and the Airport Improvement Program, which will represent a pavement preservation project that encompasses seal coating, crack sealing, and repainting all of our airfield surfaces,” Foster details. High on the list of priorities is the planned terminal area improvement. “Our facility was built in 2000, so we are now going to be working on sidewalk improvements, improvements in the terminal building, baggage carousel upgrades, HVAC system upgrades, and we will be purchasing some snow removal equipment as well as upgrading our lighting, signage, and markings.” Elko Regional is also looking to upgrade its general aviation business end. 7 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08 ELKO REGIONAL AIRPORT
Northeastern Nevada is mission-ready for the aerospace and aviation industries. With vast, underutilized airspace, expansive land availability, and strategic proximity to western test ranges, the region offers an ideal environment for companies seeking to innovate, manufacture, test, and fly. As outlined in the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority’s (NNRDA) federally approved Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), aerospace and defense is a targeted sector poised for growth.The region is equally welcoming to general aviation companies— from aircraft maintenance and avionics to hangar development and small-scale manufacturing. Northeastern Nevada offers business-friendly regulations, competitive tax advantages, and a workforce rooted in high-skill, industrial competencies—many with backgrounds in mining, mechanical systems, and logistics. Transportation infrastructure includes immediate access to I-80 and Class I rail, with ample room to expand near key assets like the Elko Regional Airport and other community airfields. Whether you’re scaling a defense operation, testing unmanned systems, or launching a new aviation service, Northeastern Nevada offers the open space, pro-business climate, and institutional support to help you succeed. Now is the time to discover what’s possible on Nevada’s frontier—where aviation meets opportunity and the sky is just the beginning. 775-738-2100 NNRDA.com 775-738-2100 NEVADA WHERE AIRSPACE IS OPEN AND OPPORTUNITY IS VAST. NNRDA.com
“We want to expand our aviation footprint. We need to look at some opportunities for expansion.” To this end, Foster is undergoing a focus planning study that would ultimately include general aviation access to the facility by building new general aviation ramps located within the interior of the airport. “This will be a pretty significant project for us,” he anticipates. Over the next five years, Foster highlights that the airport has approximately $21 million of improvements scheduled. By 2037, Elko Regional will have a total of $53 million of scheduled projects that it will be undertaking, which represents a significant investment in the airport facilities over the next 10 to 12 years. LOOKING DOWN THE RUNWAY AHEAD Tourism may be a major area of focus; however, Foster sees other economic expansion opportunities beyond bringing in visitor dollars, and that may include aviation-based businesses attracted to the airport or even non-aeronautical businesses that may want to lease on airport lands that are available. “If there is an aeronautical component, that would be great. For example, we don’t have cargo facilities and things related to this here at Elko, but it could also potentially be a business associated with that that would have direct access to the airfield, maybe a manufacturer,” he speculates. Regardless of the type and scope of business that will want to base operations at Elko Regional, one thing is clear: Foster is laser-focused on ensuring that economic expansion is given top priority and that the avenues are in place to facilitate such anticipated growth. As to what the immediate future holds, Foster is quick to predict. YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE AWAITS! YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE AWAITS! From the majestic Ruby Mountains offering incredible outdoor adventures to its rich Western history evident in every corner, and lively events like the National Basque Festival, Elko, Nevada, truly offers something for everyone. Plan your next unforgettable adventure today and experience the captivating spirit of Elko! EXPLORE ELKO, NEVADA 9 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08 ELKO REGIONAL AIRPORT
and being able to provide that to the community is very important to what I do,” Foster concludes. “The state [Nevada] is very dependent on aviation. There are a lot of initiatives that we have been involved with that tie to the state legislation side of aviation, which will be of benefit to us. We will continue to work closely with our senators to help facilitate aviation not just for the rural side of things, but for the commercial side of things too,” Foster details. Foster also points to the airport’s focus moving forward on fire suppression services. Elko Regional management will continue to participate in legislation every two years to establish committees and different avenues for potential funding to help facilitate additional related programs statewide. “This place has been ingrained in me from the first day that I started until now, and I take a lot of pride in what we have been able to accomplish.” “It is the public service side of things that drives me to be better as a manager, be better to my employees, PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Nevada Gold Mines www.barrick.com/English/operations/nevadagold-mines Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) is the world’s largest gold-producing complex, contributing $2.9 billion to Nevada’s economy in 2024 through local hiring and personnel, procurement, taxes, and investments. Formed in 2019 as a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont, NGM delivers lasting returns through explorationdriven growth, operational excellence, and a culture of ownership. n Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority www.nnrda.com The Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority drives economic opportunity across 40,000 square miles of the Silver State. Driven to attract investment, grow industry, and support thriving communities, NNRDA leverages strategic planning, regional collaboration, along with targeted sector development to position the region as a destination for diversified innovation and growth. n Elko Convention & Visitors Authority www.exploreelko.com Elko, Nevada, is a lively northeastern hub deeply connected to gold mining and ranching. It’s renowned for its annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, celebrating the area’s rich cultural heritage. Tucked away near the stunning Ruby Mountains, Elko also boasts plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun. 10 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08
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