Business View Magazine November-December 2018

118 119 THE MCALLEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT tial new businesses, as well as the community in general? Rodriguez: “We attend trade shows and busi- ness expos throughout the year to promote our airline partners, as well as the Airport. Additional- ly, we work closely with our local Chambers and Economic Development representatives. We’ve also had some community outreach projects. We’ve developed a relationship with the Make-A- Wish Foundation’s local chapter.When we have a Make-A-Wish child flying out, we relay that infor- mation to the airline and TSA teams, and together, we work to offer a personal touch to the service the child receives. We welcome them, answer any questions, and guide them through the whole check-in and boarding process. “We’ve also developed a relationship with the Making Your Mark Travelling Art Exhibit on a yearly basis.That comes from the Vannie Cook Children’s Clinic for kids that often have a terminal illness. They paint and draw and we display those works for the public to see.Also,we have tours throughout the year; we partner with our FBO and we have 10-15 tours a year for the elementary schools to get them to know what aviation is about.” Suarez: We’re interested in exploring opportuni- ties to bring aviation to the community. Many kids in our community have never used an airport and are not likely to use one – ever. So we bring them to the Airport; we work with the schools; we have holiday programs where kids come to perform their Christmas and Holiday programs.We also do personalized tours for schools. “We also host various interns - people that are teachers and curriculum professionals in local school districts. They spend a few days with us in the summer.We talk to them about incorporating different aviation themes into their curriculums, especially as we look to explore STEM learning opportunities. In a lot of the schools, there is a push to technical skills and technical paths. A lot of those technical careers have transportation el- ements, so that kids who don’t have the opportu- nity to go to college can come out of high school with a technical degree. “Not only do we want to be a contributing motor in our economy, we really want our com- munity to know that aviation provides vast career opportunities.With the changing population dy- namics in the country, as a whole, there will be great career opportunities in aviation in the future.More than anything,we believe in being a partner in the community and getting involved with our young citizens; it helps define us as unique.” We were created to look beyond. To go further. And to transform air travel through technology. We’re already helping airports across the world to blaze a trail. Airports that have been built so intelligently that they’ll be just as smart, and just as well equipped for the future in 10,15, 20 years as they are today. Explore more at: www.sita.aero/future-proof ABOVE. BEYOND. PREFERRED VENDORS n McAllen, Texas www.mcallenedc.org Since 1988, the McAllen Economic Development Corporation has been connecting the world’s biggest companies with the many benefits of doing business on the South Texas/Northern Mexico border. McAllen EDC attracts industrial development by promoting the unique flexibility that comes with binational manufacturing. McAllen EDC works with site selectors and executives to find the most convenient and profitable arrangement for their companies, offering not just a great place to do business, but an exceptional place to call home. n SITA www.sita.aero SITA is proud to be a strategic partner to McAllen International Airport for 25 years! As the world’s leading specialist in air transport communications and IT, nearly every passenger flight relies on SITA technology. We work with our air transport owners and members to provide technology solutions that make a difference at a community level. Innovating collaboratively, while developing and managing solu- tions over the world’s most extensive network – forming the ’communication backbone’ of the global air transport industry. n Amadeus www.amadeus.com/airports