Jjj jjj Arianna Bennett welcome to face the state, im Arianna Bennett thank you for being with us. Well the Renotahoe International Airport saw nearly 3. 5 million passengers last year a big increase from the year before. That also saw some new offerings in terms of flights and a big jump in cargo as well. So whats on the horizon now . Well marily mora, the president and ceo of the airport authority, is here now to talk about that. Marily, thank you so much for coming on the show. Marily mora thank you its my pleasure. But i took about a 2 year break and went back. I was here 12 and a half years and i went back to oakland and worked there for two years and then had the good fortune to come back here as a ceo in july of 2014. Bennett and a really good time to come back to the airport too mora perfect time community. I was really blessed. Bennett yeah tell me about every really the growth and changes the airport has seen just in the last few years. Mora well we were just talking this is the first time in 10 years that weve had an increase in passengers. About a 4 increase in passengers last year in 2015. So thats a big thing for us because we had many years that we were seeing the passengers drop. We had passenger drop of about 30 . Same time we had cargo increase almost 7 , the amount of pounds that we carry out of the airport. So just a really great time. And you know thankfully in the last year, year and a half, weve had a number of new flights have been introduced to this Community New york, jfk airport now being served by jet blue. The First Time Since in about 15 years that weve had scheduled International Air service and now we have three flights a week to guadalajara on Volaris Airlines. Bennett yeah definitely a lot of new stuff for sure. Now its interesting i think. Was it recession based, the kind of slow recovery of the airport where we you know are finally seeing passengers pick back up again . Because really i mean its been years. Mora yeah we were hit hard by the recession. I think people you know were not travelling for business, they were not travelling for leisure. We saw a drop in people coming into the community. So i mean i think were just really really thankful that now things have totally turned around in this community in terms of you know 50 thousand new jobs projected here in the next 5 years. Thats going to mean great things for the airport as well. Bennett absolutely. And its you know projected higher income people too. Do you think that the growth were seeing at the airport isis sustainable . I know its a concern a lot of the time when we talk about populations growing and everything here that everyone worries, oh were going to see a tightening of the economy again but i mean has it been slow and steady . Mora you know i think this growth is going to continue and the fact that weve had all of now its time to make sure our local community is supporting those flights. Because again it took us 15 years to get jet blue to jfk. That flight is doing you know exactly probably what they expected but we really need support from that. Alaska airlines has brought in a lot of new air service to our community. They serve san jose, have a flight thats really really great to san jose. They added service to boise last fall. And on march 16th theyre starting service to Orange County so how cool is that . So much easier to take your kids to disneyland if you fly into Orange County. And Southwest Airlines which was an airline that dropped about 6 destinations out of our community the last couple of years, now is now adding a flight back in. And theyre going to Start Service to oakland 3 times a day in june on june 5th this year. So thats tremendous because there is you know really really good connectivity to other places out of oakland. Bennett how much easier now is it to convince these airlines to add Flight Service in and out of reno compared to how it used to be . Story. Were on the map now because of you know the tesla de deal being one of the you know the biggest deals in our country in 2014. So people know aboutknow about us and you know reno they know about the resurgence here and Economic Activity so now were able to talk about all the other companies that are coming here that maybe were sitting on the fence. So we have a great business story to tell. We have a great story to talk about the investment in our hotel, hotels here. Both here in reno and sparks and certainly up at lake tahoe. And i think that we have got a stronger message than we ever had before about really being the gateway to lake tahoe. Bennett absolutely. Yeah, definitely not something you can minimize. Lake tahoe is a pretty big draw. Mora well you know the beauty of it all is that we now have a consortium that we call the Regional Air Service corporation that is helping us market new flights or helping us in what we call Risk Mitigation for that first year of service with a new flight and a new airline. So now we have more community partners, companies to be part of this consortium. We have nv energy thats joined. We have switch. We have edawn. So its a great, great time. Bennett yeah, now speaking of how is the jet blue flight doing . Is it doing well . Mora its doing well for you know the company is really looking, jet blue is looking saying its right where we thought it would be with a flight that just started last may. But theres been a whole lot of promotion for it. So we want that to continue to go forward. And you know the timing of that flight is just perfect if you want to have a long weekend in new york. You can go on that flight just before midnight, and kind of get there in the morning and just you know go about your business and have a fun weekend and then you can come back like at 8 oclock and have almost had a full day in new york and get back here again. You know . And be able to go to work the next day. So its the Perfect Timing of a flight to have a long be enough to keep the flight around or or is it is there a concern that we could lose it . Mora you know right now i dont were really inin dialogue with the airline but again were concerned that this pace keep up and grow. So we want to continue to make sure that people are aware of that, that they use that flight, because even if theyre going to europe or some other international destination, how perfect is that to fly into jfk because youve got about 60 countries that you can get to from jfk. Bennett absolutely, yeah. Ive taken that flight and it definitely waswas the easiest way ive seen to get to the east coast so its a good service for our community. What aboutwhat about the new flight to oakland . That was a big loss when we lost it several years back mora yes and thats why were so excited to get it back. I think were excited too that Southwest Airlines is reinvesting in this community. And we were like many airports of our size across the country when they dropped the 6 flights here it was really because they needed that aircraft for new opportunities that they had on the east coast where they could make more money. And they stopped doing what they call short haul flying. So and were really only one of two communities that theyre putting a short flightshort haul flight back into. So i think that theyre seeing whats happening in reno and saying were going reinvest in this community. So its another flight we need to really support again supporting the new flights. Alaska airlines is really growing their presence here in reno. You know starting in Orange County theyve got boise, theyve got the san jose flight, theyve got seattle and portland and i think a lot of people dont know alaska airlines. Its a Wonderful Airline with Good Customer Service so were hopeful that that message gets out as well. Bennett yeah now how is the boise flight doing . Mora its it needs help. It needs a little remedial help i would say in the community. Because that was one that was a destination that we heard a lot about that people you know was served by Southwest Airlines and then it got dropped so we worked really hard to get that back in but we really need people to fly that route. Bennett okay, are there any new ones headed our way . Anything thats you know gonna be . Mora know again we had our First International scheduled Service Going with volaris coming in to guadalajara so we now have 3 flights there so again thats something we want to see people support. So really our focus on the future will be we want canaservice to canada. Wed like to see more destinations certainly to mexico. Theres other place in the u. S. Like atlanta that wed like to see serviced. But you know right now were really focused on telling people we need your help. Use it or lose it is what we say about these flights. Its great to go out there and convince an airline to come to our community but if we dont support the flight were gonna lose it. Bennett now what about the airport building itself . Had this huge remodel a few years back, anything else going to be changing or is itis it pretty much done . Mora well 3 years ago we did a you know we consolidated our checkpoints so that we have one checkpoint and i guess since then the only otherand so weve all grown up. Thats what we say now. The other major renovation that we did was a little over a year ago into our Customs Building to accommodate the flight on volaris to guadalajara so theres in the major things that weve done. Were always working on the runways and taxi ways because they need you know maintenance all the time. And weve always got things going on in the building but you know those are the pretty much the things that were doing at renotahoe but renostead airport is another subject all together. Theres some exciting things happening out there. Bennett right mora you know that in late 2013 the state of nevada was designated one of the locations, six locations in the country to test the drones, the Unmanned Aircraft systems. Bennett right, yeah. Mora so weve been waiting for really that whole activity to take off and some significant things have been happening more recently on that. Were in partnership with unr, the Governors Office of economic development, and we now have a nasa project that is coming this spring to renostead airport where they will actually simulate that activity that could be in complex airspace another airport throughout the country. So theyre really testing kind of how are these drones going to operate in our airspace . How are they going to operate near airports . Bennett right. Mora so to have you know a connection with nasa is really something very exciting. The same time we recently had our board of trustees adopt a strategy really that is going to be great for renostead for the future and theyve selected a master developer for the land out at stead. We have 5 thousand acres out there and much of that land is developable for a really you know an office parks, distribution centers, or aviation related activities. So Dermody Properties which is a company that is well known in this community partnered with hillwood which has Alliance Airport projects around the country and they will be our master developer going forward. Youre going to see a whole new gateway, a beautiful entrance to that airport and it will change really the future of whats going to happen at renostead. Bennett wow. Because i mean its mostly known for the reno air races but mora it is absolutely bennett its a tiny little airport that i think doesnt get a ton of attention from the community other than that one mora during the air races bennett right yes. Mora and all of this development you know is to be compatible with the air races. Theres lots of land, theres lots of development we can do to be compatible with the air races. So you know lots of fun things happening out there, lots of exciting things with the Drone Development at stead. And certainly now having a Master Development with Dermody Properties and hillwood investments so we canwe can look to the future and say were going to make some money off of all that land that we have out there. Bennett okay so big changes coming to coming to our area in that department. I think its a good time to take a quick break but we will be right back. And coming up on face the state we will be back with marily mora to talk more about some of the might not have heard about. Stay jjj Arianna Bennett welcome back to face the state, im Arianna Bennett thank you for staying with us. We are back with marily mora the president and ceo of the reno airport authority. Thank you once again for taking the time to be with us today. Marily mora thank you. Bennett okay so you touched on this a little bit in the last segment, all the drone testing and everything happening out at renostead airport. I think its really interesting, especially because nevada is just one of a handful of states that gets to participate in Something Like this. But i know there are some implications where drones are concerned when it comes to safety regulations, that sort of thing right . Mora yes, and active role because there are a number of things that you have iflots of people got drones bennett for christmas. Mora at the holidays right . Bennett yeah. Mora and you have to register those. And so weve partnered with the federal Aviation Administration and weve actually were out before the holidays and we have some more sessions that were going to do some Public Session to really tell people that how you safely fly those drones because so many people have you known gotten into this as a hobby. So part of being one of the six test sites with the federal aviation and administration is were going to help them develop the rules of engagement for drones how do they operate in the air space . And so we you know it was great to get that designation because we had just in 2013 opened a new terminal at stead and so that was great to have that as a backdrop and a place where we can really Host Companies to come in and be involved in the Unmanned Aircraft system so were partnering with nasa, were partnering with unr, and the development to really have a lot of simulation that happens in a lab that well be opening this spring out at stead. So its an exciting time but also time if youre inin as a hobbyist to be mindful of the rules of the air so to speak. Bennett rightright. I know one of those is not flying your drone near the airport. Mora absolutely. Bennett is there concern that this could become a danger . Mora you know i think really what were saying in terms of lets get out in the community, lets talk about how you do it effectively and safely. So thats really the role that were taking with the federal Aviation Administration with this because really drones and the Unmanned Aircraft offer so many Different Things to improve i mean our daily life. And so its a wonderful you know development and i think really what were looking at in stead is really being a place that you have the testing and you have you know a Lab Environment for this activity is a we really Want Companies to bring those jobs and bring those headquarters here. Bring that business to nevada. And being a test site we felt is kind of like an early opportunity to bring those companies in and tell them you know show them whats happening in our region. And similar to switch and tesla coming into this is another industry that really can expand in our in our very own backyard. Bennett absolutely, yeah. Itsits a neat thing about watching northern nevadas economy grow because it really is such a team effort between all of these big entities coming together trying to attract new businesses. And thats ultimately why its been successful because everyone is participating in this. Mora yeah and theres so many different types of companies that are coming here. I think you know what weve seen at Renotahoe International Airport is also the cargo development. I mean if you look at ups alone has the amazon contract and look at that distribution happening here in this community and so many other companies that have you know located here to the tahoe regional industrial center. All those companies are shipping you know cargo out of the airport so bennett right, yeah mora we were up 7 last year so great bennett i wanted to ask you about that because theythey shopping just seen this huge growth mora yes, right bennett understandably and i was wondering if most of that goes through the airport. Mora yes a good part of it. You know some goes you know by truck but a whole lot goes by air and im going to think you know so thats being shipped out of the airport so thats one of the reasons that were seeing a lot of cargo development. Bennett very cool. Yeah and is that a decent moneymaker for the airport . Mora you know it is i think one things you see, each time, you know we actually were a big economic generator for the community ill say as a whole. We b bng in 2 Million Dollars a year. We have 25hundred jobs. But the value of really cargo brings is we make money off every time an aircraft lands and so you know that helps keep, cargo helps keep the cargo opportunities and landings help keep the cost of the Passenger Airlines down because thats how we make o