LAS CRUCES, NM – On January 10, Las Cruces officials will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony to announce the imminent start of commercial flights at the city’s airport.
The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. at the airport facility, located at 8950 Zia Boulevard.
Mayor Ken Miyagishima and Las Cruces councilmembers will join city administrators, and Levi Stockton, president of Advanced Air to introduce the event.
Guests include members of the City’s Airport Advisory Board; New Mexico Department of Transportation Aviation Director Pedro Rael and Planner Marilu Melendez; members of the New Mexico State Senate and House of Representatives.
Advanced Air will begin commercial air service operations in Las Cruces on January 16. The last time there was commercial air service in the city was in 2005.
Just last December, the City Council reported that Hawthorne, California-based Advanced Airlines had agreed to provide seven flights per week between Las Cruces and Albuquerque.
Advanced Air currently provides service between Silver City and Albuquerque, between Silver City and Phoenix, and between Gallup and Phoenix. Advanced Air’s hub is in Hawthorne and has connecting flights to Mammoth, Merced, Burbank and Carlsbad, California. It also has flights between Merced and Las Vegas, and between Hawthorne and Phoenix.
The airline also primarily uses the Beechcraft Super King Air 350 for its fleet. The twin-engine aircraft seats nine passengers.
The contract with Las Cruces is for two years and includes a total budget of US$3,850,000. The budget also includes $1.75 million per year from the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Rural Air Service Enhancement grant.
In addition, the contract calls for the city of Las Cruces to contribute $175,000 per year for the two-year duration of the agreement.
No related posts.
