The Las Cruces International Airport, 8990 Zia Boulevard, will soon be sporting a new look and upgrades to match, after recently undergoing more than $4 million in safety and facility upgrades, launching a new airport logo, and announcing a forthcoming barbecue restaurant.
“Safety is the number one priority for the airport and all of our users so these upgrades will help to ensure we’re keeping our facilities top notch,” Airport Administrator Andy Hume said. “Also, the new logo and upgrades give our visitors a nice, welcoming impression of our entire community.”
The most extensive project is the restoration of the airport’s main apron, which is the ramp where aircraft park after they fly into our airport. “After years of use, the old apron needed quite a bit of maintenance,” Hume said.
As part of the ongoing upgrades, the airport also recently added a perimeter fence along the airport boundaries and replaced the airport’s security gates.
“The new perimeter fence and security gates will help to ensure that wildlife does not wander onto the airfield and create concerns for any airport users,” Hume said. Hume added that combined, both the apron and fencing projects, added up to nearly $4 million in projects, which were primarily funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, with a match portion from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and City of Las Cruces.
“We’re grateful to all of the congressional legislators who helped support these much-needed investments in our airport,” Hume said. “These upgrades are important as Spaceport America gains popularity and businesses at the airport and industrial park continue to expand.”
In addition to the safety upgrades, soon visitors and the community at-large will be introduced to a new barbecue restaurant – the first restaurant at the airport since the previous restaurant closed in approximately 2009. The restaurant will be the second location for Jim Bob’s BBQ, a locally owned and operated barbecue chain. Jim Leon, the chain’s owner, anticipates opening the new restaurant within the next month.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a restaurant at the airport, so we’re excited to have some dining options for our visitors and community,” Hume said. In addition to the upgrades and restaurant, the airport is rebranding itself with the launch of a new logo.
“The logo is an important milestone that we are using to strengthen our brand within the community, within the region, and beyond,” City of Las Cruces Economic Development Director Griselda Martinez said. As the airport works to grow its presence as a vital resource to the community, additional improvements are already underway including a landscaping master plan, installation of a solar array, and LED lighting upgrades.
“Improvements like these set a strong foundation for the future of the Airport and industrial park,” Martinez said. “They help to establish the area as a business hub for the aerospace, aviation, and unmanned aerial systems sectors and the growing commercial space industry.”
For information, email Andy Hume at ahume@las-cruces.org or visit https://www.las-cruces.org/1246/Airport.
The Las Cruces International Airport (LRU) is a thriving general aviation airport located right off Interstate 10 on the City’s West Mesa, about 10 minutes from downtown Las Cruces. Nearly 40,000 take-offs and landings per year occur at the airport. It has three runways, including a precision instrument approach, two full-service fixed based operators and ample tie-down space.