AR BEYOND ITS STATUS Three runways stretch across 2,193 acres of New Mexico desert, their concrete ribbons catching the morning sun that shines here 310 days a year. Built hastily in 1942 as America prepared for war, Las Cruces International Airport is transitioning from its military past to an ambitious commercial future. After 18 years without scheduled passenger service, the airport welcomed back commercial flights in January 2023, marking the beginning of what Airport Director Andy Hume calls a new chapter. “Our airport was built in 1942-43 as part of the buildup for World War II, and that’s why it has three runways basically to take advantage of all possible wind directions,” says Hume, who oversees the facility that transitioned from military to civilian control in 1955. The city consolidated its aviation operations here in the AFTER 18 YEARS WITHOUT COMMERCIAL SERVICE, AN URBAN PLANNER TURNED AIRPORT CHIEF IS BETTING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WILL TRANSFORM A FORMER WORLD WAR II AIRFIELD INTO NEW MEXICO’S NEXT AEROSPACE HUB. 2 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 07
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