Phoenix-Mesa Gateway named ADOT’s Airport of the Year
Jun 27, 2019, 4:00 PM
(ADOT Photo)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation on Thursday named an East Valley hub its 2019 Airport of the Year.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway was honored for the third time, with the last award coming in 2012.
In a press release, ADOT said its Aeronautics Group decides winners based on accomplishments in aviation advocacy and community relations, airport management, special events and recognition, as well as innovative activities and programs.
Some of Gateway’s recent accomplishments include hosting a presidential visit, demonstrating outstanding community outreach and being active in local chambers of commerce, the release said.
“This airport has done an amazing job in support of their community and advancing aviation in the state of Arizona,” Don Kriz, ADOT’s Aeronautics Group manager, said in the release.
Gateway is the nation’s 32nd-busiest airport and second busiest in the state, with 288,000 takeoffs and departures per year.
Last year, Falcon Field in Mesa won the honor.
Overall, there have been eight airports that have been named as ADOT’s best in the past decade.
“This prestigious award is a testament to the high-quality and dedicated employees that have helped create a major economic engine for the state of Arizona,” Jeff Serdy, chairman of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, said in the release.