Business View Magazine November-December 2018

112 113 A UNIQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT T he McAllen International Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles south of the cen- tral business district of McAllen, a city in Hidalgo County, Texas. It is categorized as a small hub, primary commercial service airport, whose mission is to foster an aviation environ- ment that promotes air carrier, general aviation, and air cargo service in an economically viable, safe, secure, convenient, and competitive man- ner for the residents of the Rio Grande Valley and its international customers. The Airport has two runways with asphalt surfaces: 14/32 is 7,120 by 150 feet, and 18/36 is 2,638 by 60 feet. Its terminal was built in 1993 and remodeled and expanded in 2015 to approximately 155,000 square feet. Its ameni- ties include: free wireless internet access, two restaurants, a bar, two retail stores, electronic charging stations built into the terminal seating, shoe shine service, seven rental car counters, air- line ticket counters, spacious baggage claim and lobby areas, six airline gates, and easy access to parking lots. Approximately 2.4 million people pass through the terminal, annually. For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2017, the airport had 56,557 aircraft operations - an average of 155 per day: 68 percent general aviation, 14 percent scheduled commercial, 13 percent military, and 5 percent air taxi. In Sep- tember 2018, there were 118 aircraft based at the Airport: 56 single-engine, 28 multi-engine, AT A GLANCE THE MCALLEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHAT: A city-owned, public-use airport WHERE: Two miles south of McAllen, Texas WEBSITE: www.mcallenairport.com