Airport Business - 14

AIRPORT GURU
AUTHOR Curt Castagna

GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORTS:

A National Asset
WHAT DO general aviation airports mean to your community?
In California and across the West, which are experiencing
the worst fire season in history, general aviation airports
are national assets that play an essential role in providing
emergency services to devastated communities.
In addition to serving as a versatile
fire management tool, fixed- and rotarywing aircraft are especially important in
situations where access is obstructed by
damage to existing roads and bridges,
harsh terrain or lack of infrastructure.
When a disaster strikes, many relief efforts
depend on donated business or private
aircraft to provide evacuation services
or transport urgently needed medical
supplies, clothing, blankets, food and
water to suffering populations.
This makes small and regional
airports across the nation a central hub
for first responders and rescue teams,
humanitarian aid and emergency air
transport. While many individuals
appreciate the vital role general aviation
aircraft play during times of emergency,
few recognize their local airport as a vital
economic asset and contributor to the
community year-round.
In the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic, it is hard to overlook the
importance of local general aviation

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CURT CASTAGNA

Curt Castagna, president and CEO of
Aeroplex/Aerolease Group, is a member
of the Los Angeles County Airport
Commission, president of the Van Nuys
and Long Beach Airport Associations,
and a board member of the National Air
Transportation Association. A certified
private and instrument-rated pilot,
he has instructed courses in aviation
administration at Cal State Los Angeles
for over two decades.

airports as commercial airlines cut back on
service, flights and personnel. According
to the U.S. Department of Transportation,
there are approximately 5,100 public use
airports in the nation that are accessed
by general aviation aircraft, compared to
approximately 500 that offer commercial
airline service. This means that business
aviation reaches 10 times the number of
U.S. airports than do the airlines. In the
current situation, the destinations served
by air carriers are expected to continue
to decline.
According to the National Business
Aviation Association, business aviation
contributes $150 billion to U.S. economic
output and employs more than 1.2 million
people. In addition, general aviation
activities reap substantial financial benefits
for every state in the nation. Only about
three percent of the approximately 15,000
business aircraft registered in the U.S. are
flown by Fortune 500 companies, while
the remaining 97 percent are operated
by a broad cross-section of organizations,
including governments, universities,
charitable organizations and businesses.
To increase awareness of the essential
role that general aviation fulfills, the
National Air Transportation Association
(NATA) has launched a new initiative
called General Aviation Advancing
America. Through this effort, focused
gatherings among key business and
community leaders are being held at
airports across the nation to discuss how
aviation activities in cities and towns
support well-paying jobs, economic

14 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / DECEMBER 2020

growth and collaboration that can
empower a community during all phases
of a crisis.
Another goal of these gatherings is to
emphasize the importance of relationships
among public airports, private businesses
and aircraft operators. There is a critical
need to generate ideas on how to best
communicate the importance of aviation
businesses and the essential services they
deliver to airports and their stakeholders.
Telling the complete story of general
aviation to policymakers, opinion leaders
and the public is essential to protecting
the entire aviation industry.
Notably, it has been nearly a decade
since the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) conducted a national review of
general aviation airports. In 2012, its report
entitled " General Aviation Airports: A
National Asset " documents an 18-month
study of the nearly 3,000 general aviation
airports, heliports and seaplane bases
identified in the FAA's National Plan of
Integrated Airport Systems.
The FAA's in-depth analysis aims
to educate the public about the pivotal
role general aviation airports play in
our society, economy and the national
aviation system. The study also places
Airport Business

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Airport Business
