"San Juan Pueblo, N.M., celebrates airport opening"

Friday, December 17, 2004

San Juan Pueblo, N.M., celebrates airport opening
The Albuquerque (NM) Journal


SAN JUAN PUEBLO, N.M. -- With the grand opening of the San Juan Pueblo
Airport on Thursday, tribal officials and others ushered in what they hope
will be a new era in economic development for the tribe and its northern New
Mexico neighbors.

"This is not the end. This is just the beginning because there's a lot more
things to come," said tribal Councilman Joe Garcia at a ceremony held at the
airport.

House speaker Ben Lujan called the opening of the airport a "great
accomplishment."

"We anticipate having a beautiful building here so people can take flights
out of here and land here," he said.

About $1.7 million went into the reconstruction of the airport's runway,
said Ron Lovato, chief executive officer of the pueblo's Tsay Corp. The
reconstruction of the former Espanola city airport's runway will enable
small airplanes to fly in and out of the airport, he said.

But the runway currently wouldn't be able to accommodate large aircraft for
transportation, he said. He said extending the runway and building a
terminal are possibilities.

Garcia said the airport had been closed for more than 15 years. He said
reopening it will help the area's economy by providing easier access to the
region and by providing another means for companies to ship their
merchandise.

The next phase, Garcia said, is getting infrastructure, such as water, waste
water, power and telephone service, to the airport.

"We've been working on this airport project...for quite some time, I think
around five years," said pueblo Gov. Earl Salazar. He said companies are
interested in locating on the pueblo, and the tribe's economic development
corporation has been talking with them.

Earlier this year, the pueblo was in discussions with aircraft builder
American Utilicraft Corp. of Lawrenceville, Ga., to bring a freight airplane
factory to the pueblo. But in October, the firm signed a letter of intent to
lease up to 15 acres at Albuquerque's Double Eagle II airport to build its
cargo airplane. Earlier this month, the company announced that it had a deal
with the Navajo Nation to build aircraft parts.

Lovato said he is in preliminary discussions with other companies about
bringing their business to the pueblo, but he declined to release any
details, saying it's too early.

"This airport will benefit the whole area, not just San Juan Pueblo..." said
Rio Arriba County Commission Chairman Elias Coriz. "The sky is the limit
right now with the opening of this airport."

Rio Arriba Commissioner-elect Felipe Martinez expressed hope that the
airport would eventually help bolster tourism in the area.

"Rio Arriba County has a lot more than just casinos to offer," he said,
referring to its many historic sites.

Salazar said it's important for the pueblo to continue working with the
city, county and other governments for economic development in the area.

"I think this is a real boost to the economy of northern New Mexico," said
state Rep. Nick Salazar, D-San Juan Pueblo.

"We all live in this valley, and it's of benefit of all of us to work
together," he later added.


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