August 2024
Celebrating the Flight of Aviation
August 19 is National Aviation Day, a national day of observation, that celebrates the development and success of aviation. The holiday was first established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who issued the proclamation to celebrate the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday.
The aviation industry is a massive economic engine and a tax generator, and in Arizona the Phoenix Airport System is the largest economic engine in the state with an annual economic impact of $44.3 billion. Phoenix Sky Harbor continues to grow, just this year adding new international air service, welcoming Air France with non-stop service to Paris. The airport is also on track to celebrate its busiest year on record, exceeding the 2023 all time passenger record of 48.6 million passengers. Both Phoenix Goodyear and Deer Valley airports have also seen incredible success all in the name of aviation. Phoenix Deer Valley is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the nation with more than 340,000 operations in 2023. Aviation enthusiasts can even take in unique views of the airport’s runways and aircraft movements from the observation deck above the airport’s on-site restaurant, Barrio Brewing Company, that opened earlier this year. Both airports are home to private flight schools that take pride in training the next generation of aviators. In fact, Phoenix Goodyear Airport, welcomed the United Aviate Academy (UAA), a state-of-the-art training facility, with their first graduating class in January 2023. The Academy trains up to 500 pilots a year.
Above photo: The original terminal at Phoenix Sky Harbor.