Business View Magazine - August 2023

222 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 8 boom to the community, as Scheller observes. “Because the community is growing,” he says. “We’re seeing the biggest rate of housing construction in this area, then the past seven years. This airport is a gateway for the community to take an airline for their vacation, and for visitors to fly in and immediately enjoy the Colorado River basin.” In addition, Scheller points out that at this time people in the southern Nevada and Arizona area who are seeking to book a commercial passenger flight are obliged to drive an hour and 40 minutes to Las Vegas, as Scheller points out, and this can be a real hassle for those who frequently travel. “People don’t realize this,” he adds, “but if you’re being dropped off at a distant airport, the person driving you must drive out there and then come back, which adds to the cost of the travel.” Or there’s also Phoenix, which is a whopping three and a half hours away. “That’s a five-hour round trip,” Scheller points out, citing drivers dropping off their loved ones for passenger flights. “It’s long, and it’s dangerous at times, especially with a hot sun and (dicey) cell phone connections.” To this end, the Laughlin-Bullhead International Airport is vital to many people. Indeed, as Scheller notes, the FAA considers it an indispensable component of the combined tri-state airway systems, given its distance from primary commercial-service airports. He also cites his many encounters with members of the general public. When he tells them that he’s the airport director, the first question he gets asked is always the same: “‘When are we going to get commercial service?’” he recalls, adding that residents in this part of southern Nevada and Arizona “absolutely want commercial service here.” The interest and demand is there to make that as Sun Country grows its business, the airport structurally must grow. This means the actual, physical buildings must grow to accommodate (increased passengers).” Sun Country Airlines, with its Boeing 737- 800s serve the Riverside Resort and Harrah’s Laughlin. Also, the airport is the main base for Air Methods/Tri-State CareFlight, a helicopter and fixed-wing air ambulance company known for saving countless lives in emergencies. Scheller adds that airport leadership is quite keen on improving customer experience. More space at the airport is the name of the game for everyone, including customers, Sun Country, and other such commercial airlines alike. Given the length of the runway of 8,501 feet, Scheller speculates that the average annual temperatures and runway length would allow 70-seat regional aircraft to run throughout the entire year. Future airport development plans call for expanding the runway by 900 feet, thus making it better able to accommodate larger airplanes year-round. Scheduled-service airline flights would be a major