Business View Magazine March 2023

257 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 Mexico, and a recreational hub for boating and fishing. We are also close to the San Juan Mountains with Durango, a commercial and visitor hub and home of the Durango Silverton train, within 40 miles of us. Next, we have Purgatory Ski Resort, one of southern Colorado’s biggest ski resorts, within about an hour and a half of the airport. Off to the northwest, we have the Utah Badlands with Monument Valley and other attractions within 2 to 3 hours. Aztec is centrally located between Phoenix and Denver, about 9 hours to each.At the same time, our capital, Santa Fe, is about 3 hours, and Albuquerque is about two and a half hours, besides neighboring cities like Farmington, Bloomfield, and Shiprock, one of the gateway cities to the Navajo Nation. Farmington Lake, a reservoir, swimming, and camping area, is about five miles from Aztec besides several rivers that converge here, including the San Juan and Animas Rivers. From a geographical perspective, we have in town the aviation-related businesses, including aircraft maintenance, repair, and refueling services. Aztec Municipal Airport has a long history, dating back to the early days of aviation in NewMexico. Over the years, it has undergone numerous improvements and upgrades, including adding a new terminal building and constructing a modern automated weather reporting system. Business ViewMagazine recently spoke to Wallace Begay, Municipal Airport Manager, and Jeff Blackburn, City Manager, to discuss the airport’s role in the local community, including its economic benefits and position as a critical transportation link. Business ViewMagazine: Let’s start by discussing the general area Aztec Municipal Airport serves. Could you tell us what the area offers and its connection with the airport as the gateway to the region? Jeff Blackburn: Aztecs have much to offer. To start, we are near Navajo Lake, one of the larger lakes in New AZ TEC MUNICI PAL AI RPORT