Business View Magazine | Volume 9, Issue 1

149 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 LEA COUNTY REGIONAL A I RPORT if you include the people working for United Airlines, TSA, and the airport’s two FBOs, it totals 49 employees. Both the FBOs – Christian Aero and Tailwind Aviation – have 100 low lead and Jet A Fuel, as well as full-service lounges. Christian Aero also has self-serve outside of regular business hours. HOB was originally built on property adjacent to the airport in 1937, by the Me-Tex Supply Company. It was not until after World War II that the current property began to be used and was eventually turned over to the city. There has been a mix of commercial and general aviation since the very beginning. “We started commercial airline service in June of 2011 with Continental Airlines, which through mergers became United Airlines,” explains Needham. “And we have maintained twice a day service to Houston ever since. Houston was a natural fit for us because of its strong ties to the oil and gas market. Pre-COVID, we had just started Denver service and then suspended it through the pandemic, but have now started a daily Denver service again as of October.” HOB being both a commercial and general aviation facility, Lea County owns a 12,000 square foot hangar that is leased out to pilots. There is usually a space or two left for new tenants in that hangar, while the majority of the general aviation hangars are privately owned. The airfield is home to 72 based aircraft, and there are still eight blocks of land left for individuals who want to build their hangar. As the airport has grown, the terminal, too, has evolved over time. “In 2006, the county decided it wanted a brand-new state of the art terminal,” explains Needham, “so they tore down the old one to build the modern one. By 2011, we had already decided that we wanted to do something bigger and better. That’s when we started the