Business View Magazine - July 2023

266 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 LAX, Denver, SLC and Seattle, Rogue Valley International has more than enough flight activity to keep busy. Add-in regular fire- fighting and EMS flights, and the airport is truly a west coast center of aviation. “Last year in 2022, we had just over a million passengers,” Judd relays. “We were just shy of our 2019 record and we are really excited to be back up there again .” “We like to think of ourselves as the gateway to the Rogue Valley and the larger surrounding area. The airport serves Southern Oregon, a large part of Northern California, and from Brookings north along the Southern Oregon coast,” she adds. “We have a very large catchment area.” Judd points out that MFR is located half- way between Sacramento and Portland. “We are right in the middle of those two major airports and if you don’t like long drives, we would love to have you fly out of Medford.” Top-tier airlines and Fixed Base Operators Listing the commercial carriers affiliated with the airport, Mike Doil, Business Development Manager with the Airport, mentions a number of recognizable airlines. “We have Delta, United, Alaska, and American Airlines.” “We also have Allegiant that flies direct to LAX, Orange County and Las Vegas, Phoenix- Mesa, and San Diego,” Judd expands, “as well as Avelo with service to Burbank.” As for its Fixed Based Operator (FBO), Judd relays that the airport is in the envious position of enjoying a great working relationship with two top-tier FBOs. “Both MillionAir and Jet Center are wonderful partners. MillionAir handles all the fueling, most of the charters and military activity, while Jet Center focuses primarily on maintenance and avionics,” Judd states. With all of its aviation-related needs being met, the airport is able to not only operate at the highest levels of efficiency but also turn its attention to other items that it has pinpointed as being top priorities as we enter the second half of the 2023 calendar year. Top of this list is the upgrades that are in the works as well as utilizing those already completed to further streamline its flight operations. Operational upgrades in the ‘flight plan’ “We just resurfaced our runway so it’s in great shape.” Judd states when asked about recent upgrades and those in the works. “Currently we are under construction on expanding our general aviation apron area so that we can accommodate more hangars,” she adds. “There is a waiting list for existing hangers, and people looking to build. We are also expanding our heavy aircraft apron on the east side of the airfield. This area is used primarily for large cargo and military aircraft, as well as the DC-10s which are vital to this area