Aviation advocates save a New Mexico airport

When pilot Ron Orozco heard that Lordsburg Mayor Robert Barrera was airing ideas about closing Lordsburg Municipal Airport, he didn’t wait for others to take a stand. Orozco brought the issue to aviation advocates including AOPA’s Central Southwest Regional Manager Tom Chandler, the National Business Aviation Association, the New Mexico Airport Managers Association, and the New Mexico Pilots Association. He also worked with the New Mexico Aviation Division to gather key airport facts for a pro-airport presentation.

Appearing before the Hidalgo County Commission in July to solicit support, Orozco—who now has become AOPA’s Airport Support Network volunteer for Lordsburg—made his presentation and responded to questions. In a report he submitted to the New Mexico Pilots Association’s August 2018 newsletter, he summed up the meeting’s conclusion as follows: “It appears the Mayor has backed-off his thought of closing the airport.”

“Not only that,” added AOPA’s Chandler, “but he and the city council are moving forward to pursue a grant from the recently announced $1 billion in FAA Supplemental Airport Funding to build a parallel taxiway that the previous administration already had in the works.

“Led by AOPA, the aviation community came together to save a rural airport,” Chandler said.