Business View Magazine | September 2020

179 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020 another tier of funding from the FAA. It would bump us from $150,000 per year to $600,000 per year and we could do a lot of the improvements with that extra funding.” “We’re also pursuing our Part 139 certificate,” he adds, “and the goal is to have that certificate back before October 1st, when the new air carrier service would start. We’re an Essential Air Service Airport and the RFP for the new air service just went out. That’s one of my big tasks, right now. It would allow for more flexibility in the size of aircraft that can come in here. You have to have that for aircraft over nine seats. That’s how we can fly Boutique Air. They’re actually an air taxi, Part 135, scheduled carrier with less than nine seats.” Finally, Hickman relates that ALS likes to host special events and believes that with the city and county’s help, future marketing initiatives will help enhance the Airport’s ability to attract new customers and new business. “For instance, the FBO has events in April and August with the Young Eagles, which is a neat event for kids because they get free rides in airplanes,” he remarks. “Another thing we do is host a lot of school field trips. We’re always open to that; we like to teach people about aviation and show them the value of it and, hopefully, get people interested in it. In the future, I would like to start hosting more fly-ins, and, possibly, bring the air show back that used to be here years ago. We just have so much construction here in the near future. We’ll have to get through the major taxiway project and then we can start to focus on those other things.” Agriculture Business Aquaculture Automotive Service Cosmetology Diesel Technology Drone Pilot (UAS) Nursing Welding And more! 1011 Main Street, Alamosa trinidadstate.edu 1-800-621-TSJC Affordable & Close to Home NOW MORE THAN EVER SanLuisValley residents get 20%off tuition!* *Learn Local Scholarship: must take at least 15 credit hours and reside in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande or Saguache counties THE SAN LUI S VALLEY REGIONAL A I RPORT