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Officials with the El Paso International Airport (EPIA) announced Wednesday that the airport was awarded 2018 Best Airport by Size and Category (2-5 million passengers in North America) by Airport Council International’s (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Customer Experience Awards.

The survey is the only global airport survey based on measuring passengers’ satisfaction at the airport on their day of travel. The program measures key performance indicators including: Access, Check-in, Security, Wayfinding, Food & Beverage, Airport Facilities and Overall Satisfaction. Three quarters of the world’s top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ program.

“This award is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of all airport employees, to include the airport’s airlines, concessionaires, as well as City of El Paso staff,” said Monica Lombraña, A.A.E., Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges. “I want to personally thank all employees and partners who have provided the outstanding services and support necessary to run a first-class operation.”

The Airport has experienced notable growth in recent years; in 2018, the Airport surpassed 3 million passengers, an 11% increase in total passenger traffic over 2017.

Since 2015, airlines at EPIA have made 19 announcements for new or expanded routes, and have added new non-stop destinations such as Orlando,  San Jose and Seattle.

Officials with the facility shared that the Airport has invested over $200 million in capital improvements in the past five years, resulting in upgraded facilities and added amenities to provide a pleasant travelling experience for its passengers.

“Improvements include a new rental car facility, the ELP Virtuwall, a consolidated checked baggage inspection system, the reconstruction of Runway 4-22 and the implementation of the Aira App, a service that provides visual assistance. Future projects include escalator replacements, the Terminal Landscape and Architectural Lighting Project, and a new, state-of-the-art passenger notification system,” officials added.

This is the Airport’s third award since commencing participation in the ASQ survey program; in 2016 and 2017, El Paso International tied for 2nd Place for Best Overall Customer Satisfaction for airports in North America.

For more information, please visit FlyElPaso.com and aci.aero.

In weather that was more Anchorage than Sun City, officials with Alaska Airlines, the El Paso International Airport and the city officially welcomed the arrival of the first flight from the carrier.

Starting February 19th, Alaska Airlines will commence service at El Paso International Airport with daily, non-stop flights to Seattle and San Diego.

Airport officials had planned a ‘water cannon salute’ for the arrival of the flight, but the Alaska-like weather conditions forced a change o plans.   Officials added that the rest of the welcome ceremony – including a ribbon & cake cutting, as well as music and refreshments, would go on as scheduled in the afternoon.

The first flight landed shortly before lunchtime Tuesday, to the chilly cheers of those in attendance.

Our very own Andres ‘Ace’ Acosta was there and we bring you his view of the arrival in the gallery below.

Multiple agencies will be participating in a training exercise at the El Paso International Airport beginning Monday night.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the El Paso International Airport, with the support of multiple law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal level, will be conducting a joint training exercise beginning Monday, October 29, 2018, at 10 p.m. and lasting through the early morning of Tuesday, October 30, 2018.

The live training exercise will take place at El Paso International Airport (EPIA), including public areas such as ticketing, baggage claim and the main lobby.

Via a news release, officials said, “Area residents should not be alarmed if they see a large number of law enforcement equipment and resources in the area. We ask the public to avoid areas where the FTX is taking place — where out of the ordinary activity may occur related to the exercise, including role players portraying attackers and victims.”

Officials added that the statewide training exercise is part of the FBI, DPS, and EPIA’s commitment to public safety and to working together with all of our law enforcement partners to respond to crisis events anywhere and at any time.

*Exercise participants include:

State of Texas

Select Texas Emergency Management Council Departments and Agencies

Texas Army National Guard

Texas Department of Public Safety

Fusion Centers

Multi-Agency Tactical Response Information eXchange (MATRIX)

North Texas Fusion Center

Southwest Texas Fusion Center

Texas Joint Crime Information Center

Local Agencies and Entities

City of El Paso – Department of Public Health

El Paso City/County Office of Emergency Management

El Paso County Sheriff’s Office

El Paso Fire Department

El Paso International Airport

El Paso Medical Examiner’s Office

El Paso Police Department

Pebble Hills High School

The University of Texas at El Paso

Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo

Federal Departments and Agencies

Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Homeland Security Investigations

National Transportation Safety Board

North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force

Transportation Security Administration

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Attorney’s Office – Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Districts of Texas

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Marshals Service

Non-Governmental Organizations

American Red Cross

Border Regional Advisory Council

El Paso Children’s Hospital

El Paso Specialty Hospital

Las Palmas Medical Center

The Hospitals of Providence: Sierra Campus, Memorial Campus, Transmountain Campus, East Campus and Del Sol

The Salvation Army

University Medical Center

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

On Tuesday, El Paso International Airport (ELP) officials iannounced that Southwest Airlines will increase flights to San Jose and San Diego starting January 7, 2019.

“These incremental additions to El Paso International Airport’s flights are accomplishments towards the goal for growing the core business of air transportation,” said Monica Lombraña, City of El Paso’s Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges.

“With each increase in frequency to our non-stop destinations, we have the opportunity to show our airline partners that enhancing our air service is a great opportunity and investment in our region.”

Service to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport had been scheduled to begin in April 2019, it will now begin in January 2019 with one flight on Sundays and increase to two flights on Sundays in April 2019.

Flights to San Diego International Airport will increase from one flight on Sunday to daily flights and two flights on Sundays in January 2019.

For more information, or to book flights now visit southwest.com or flyelpaso.com

El Paso International Airport (ELP) is pleased to announce that Southwest Airlines will be expanding service to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport with weekly service, commencing April 14, 2019.

“Our non-stop route map is growing to 15 cities today, and I am grateful to our partners at Southwest Airlines who have shown such wonderful support by increasing our region’s connectivity,” said Monica Lombraña, City of El Paso’s Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges. “Non-stops to silicon valley is great for access to Northern California.”

The new flight will depart El Paso on Sundays at 12:55 p.m., the returning non-stop flight arrives in El Paso on Sundays at 12:55 p.m. This flight will initially begin as seasonally offered during the summer, and if supported by the community could expand in the future.

This makes the 18th new non-stop flight announcement for El Paso International Airport since 2015, which now has non-stop flights available to 15 destinations nationwide.

Southwest had recently added daily non-stop flights to Denver, which begins next month.

For more information, or to book your flight now visit southwest.com or flyelpaso.com

On Thursday, the City of El Paso and Alaska Airlines announced new, daily non-stop flights from El Paso International Airport to Seattle and San Diego beginning February 19, 2019.

“Alaska Airlines is excited to add El Paso to our growing list of destinations, and connect it to two of our largest West Coast gateways – Seattle and San Diego,” said John Kirby, vice president of capacity planning at Alaska. “We believe the region’s travelers will love our low fares, industry leading customer service and loyalty program.”

The new flights to San Diego and Seattle will run daily with connections available to destinations nationwide, as well as international. Alaska will operate an Embraer 175 aircraft on the new routes.

Mayor Dee Margo said, “The addition of Alaska Airlines to El Paso is wonderful news and we share in the celebration with our traveling community. We welcome Alaska Airlines to El Paso and the additional connection to the west coast, as well as more options for travel for all El Pasoans.”

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez added that strengthening our region’s economy by growing the core business of air transportation is one the City’s strategic goals.

“Today’s announcements proves we are continuing to deliver results for our traveling public,” Gonzalez said, ”We continue to work on additional flights to demonstrate that El Paso continues to grow and prosper as an international airport. In the past four years we have announced 15 new flights and have added two new airlines.”

Alaska Airlines is the fifth-largest U.S. airline based on passenger traffic and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Alaska Air Group serves 115 destinations with 1,200 daily departures in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica.

Major hubs include Seattle, Anchorage, L.A., San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.

For more information on today’s announcement and Alaska Airlines, please visit the Alaska Airlines website.

El Paso International Airport (EPIA) passes a rigorous Annual Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Certification Inspection with Zero Discrepancies.

“Passing the inspection with no discrepancies requires a focus on safety and careful coordination of Airport Operations, Airport Field Maintenance, and ARFF staff year-round,” said Monica Lombraña, Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges.

“We are very fortunate to have such dedicated, talented and hard-working individuals working for the Airport,” Lombraña added

Every year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducts a three-day comprehensive review and thorough inspection of all commercial airports nationwide to ensure that airports are following national safety standards.

Successful Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 139 certification is required for an airport to continue commercial operations.

Included in the annual inspection is a review of:

• The Airport’s Emergency Plan
• Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) equipment, training, and response times
• Airport personnel operations and procedures, including self-inspection and maintenance logs
• Fixed Base Operators aircraft fueling procedures and fuel truck safety
• Evaluation of all airfield markings, lighting and signage
• Construction Safety

Motorists around the airport will see a new colorful, art installation once crews are finished with the upcoming installation near the El Paso International Airport.

“El Paso Passage,” by artist Bill FitzGibbons, will be a lighted art piece located beneath the overpass in this area and is part of the Airport’s overall Landscape Improvement Project; construction on the remainder of the project is expected to commence in late summer.

Starting Monday, July 9th, the northbound lanes on Airway Boulevard between Boeing Drive and Convair Road will be temporarily closed at night to allow for the installation of a new public art piece.

The closure will take place between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. and will be in effect through July 20, 2018.

Proper traffic control measures and signage, including digital message boards, will be in place throughout the closures.  Detours and closure schedule may be slightly modified to allow for unforeseen events or weather conditions.

This $205,000 project is part of the City of El Paso’s commitment to promote the visual image of the City and is funded through the Airport Enterprise Fund.

On Tuesday city officials announced that, El Paso International Airport awarded a construction contract for the Airport Terminal Landscape Architectural Lighting Project as part of efforts to “promote the visual image of the city.”

“El Paso International Airport is a gateway to the city as well as a major economic driver, last year nearly three million passengers passed through our terminal and we want to ensure that the first and last impression of the city is a phenomenal one so we are taking great care to improve the ambiance and curb appeal of the airport,” said Monica Lombrana, A.A.E., Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges.

The project scope includes new sidewalks, walkways, as well as a new plaza that will provide a pedestrian connection between the terminal building and the surrounding hotels and restaurants.

The project will incorporate color changing, programmable LED lights into the landscaping and terminal building. “El Paso Passage” a public art piece designed by Bill FitzGibbons, which consists of color changing lights will be installed beneath the Airway overpass as a part of this project.

El Paso City Council approved awarding contract to Jordan Foster Construction, LLC. The project will consist of new landscaping and lighting improvements beginning at the intersection of Montana and Airway and continuing along and around Terminal Drive loop.

The contract awarded to Jordan Foster Construction, LLC is valued at $7.5 million. The design team was headed by Meridian Greenworks, LLC.  The work is a part of the Airport’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) originally approved in 2016.

Funding for this project comes from the Airport’s enterprise fund.

On Thursday, officials with the El Paso International Airport announced that Southwest Airlines will be expanding service to Denver International Airport with daily service – excluding Saturdays – starting November 4, 2018.

“We are extremely pleased to work together with our airline partners as we continuously build El Paso’s connectivity by adding options for passengers traveling to cities like Denver,” said Monica Lombraña, City of El Paso’s Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges.

“Flights to Denver increase connectivity to both the East Coast, West Coast as well as destinations in Mexico.”

This makes the 15th new non-stop flight announcement for El Paso International Airport since 2015, which currently has non-stop flights available to 13 destinations nationwide.

In March, Southwest announced one weekly non-stop flight to Denver that begins on October 7, 2018.

For more information, or to book a flight visit Southwest Airlines Website or flyelpaso.com

On Mondays through Fridays:

• Flight from El Paso departs 1:05 p.m., arrives in Denver 2:55 p.m.
• Flight from Denver departs 2:20 p.m., arrives in El Paso 4:15 p.m.

On Sundays:

• Flight from El Paso departs 7:40 a.m., arrives in Denver 9:40 a.m.
• Flight from Denver departs 2:05 p.m., arrives in El Paso 3:55 p.m.

On Monday, options for those El Pasoans who fly from the Sun City to the Windy City multiplied.

United Airlines began their two new, daily non-stop flights from El Paso International Airport to Chicago O’Hare; while Frontier Airlines began their new, non-stop flights as well.

“The twice daily, early morning and mid-day flights, will improve connectivity and convenience for business and international travel,” said Monica Lombraña, A.A.E., Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges. “We are pleased that our airline partners, like United are investing in our community by bringing new non-stop routes.”

Lombraña added, “This added air service improves connectivity and provides travelers a budget friendly option…we welcomed Frontier to El Paso with flights to Denver last month and we are extremely pleased that they have added this non-stop flight to Chicago.”

These are but two of 11 new flights announced in the past three years for El Paso International Airport. United will operate an Embraer 170 aircraft on the new route with first class seating options, Frontier will operate an Airbus A320 family aircraft for this route.

For more information on the flights below, please visit United’s website.

El Paso Departures:                                            Chicago Departures:

Departs El Paso         6:30 a.m.                           Departs Chicago        10:00 a.m.

Arrives Chicago          10:43 a.m.                          Arrives El Paso          12:18 p.m.

Departs El Paso         12:55 p.m.                         Departs Chicago        7:45 p.m.

Arrives Chicago          5:10 p.m.                           Arrives El Paso          10:06 p.m.

**

For more information on the Frontier flights below, visit flyfrontier.com.

On Mondays and Fridays:

• Flight from El Paso departs 1:59 a.m., arrives in Chicago 6:14 a.m.
• Flight from Chicago departs 9:52 p.m. (Sundays/Thursdays), arrives in El Paso 12:20 a.m.

El Paso International Airport (ELP) announced Tuesday morning that Delta Airlines will be expanding service to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) with a non-stop, daily flight starting October 1, 2018.

“Transportation is essential to a growing community such as ours, we welcome the investments that our airline partners are making in El Paso to improve the connectivity of our great City,” Mayor Dee Margo said.

The new service will complement existing Delta flying of three peak-day departures from El Paso with global connections via the airline’s hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The CRJ-900 aircraft operated by Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines is equipped with 12 seats in First Class, 20 in Comfort+ and 44 in the main cabin. Customers will have access to in-flight Wi-Fi as well as streaming in-flight entertainment via Delta Studio.

“The timing of Delta’s inaugural nonstop service from SLC to El Paso couldn’t be better,” said Bill Wyatt, Executive Director — Salt Lake City International Airport. “This new service is just in time for visitors to enjoy Utah’s fall splendor and to plan a winter vacation to ski the greatest snow on earth.”

This is a new non-stop destination for El Paso International Airport, and a major hub for Delta. This new route opens up connectivity to the Midwest and West Coast.

“This is the 11^th new non-stop flight El Paso International Airport has announced since 2016, and an additional city on the EPIA non-stop route map. We have been making great strides towards accomplishing our goal of growing the core business of air transportation,” said Monica Lombraña, A.A.E., Managing Director of Aviation and international Bridges.

The daily service will operate as follows:

For more information visit news.delta.com and FlyElPaso.com.

El Paso International Airport (ELP) is pleased to announce that Southwest Airlines will be expanding service to Denver International Airport with a non-stop, weekly flight starting October 7, 2018.

“El Pasoans have even more options to fly to Denver, this is great for the community’s connectivity, and is wonderful that the airlines are taking notice of the potential our city offers,” Mayor Dee Margo said.

This non-stop flight to Denver will add options for passengers when making their travel plans.

“This is the 10^th new non-stop flight El Paso International Airport has announced since 2016, with every new flight we build a stronger economy, and enhance leisure and business travel,” said Monica Lombraña, A.A.E., Managing Director of Aviation and international Bridges.

The flight to Denver International Airport improves connectivity to both the East and West Coast as it is centrally located and serves a large number of cities non-stop in the U.S. as well as destinations in Mexico.

El Paso International Airport (EPIA) and the City of El Paso invite the public to join in the celebration of Frontier Airlines’ inaugural flight from El Paso to Denver.

“We’re excited to have another airline option for visitors traveling to and from El Paso. We are sure many El Pasoans will be enjoying trips to Denver and look forward to visitors from Colorado arriving in the borderland,” said Monica Lombraña, A.A.E., Managing Director of Aviation and international Bridges.

The celebration will include guest speakers, themed music by El Paso band Cactus Moonshine, refreshments, a carnival style game where attendees can win various prizes plus guest appearances by the Amigo Man and the Chihuahuas’ mascot Chico.

Frontier Airlines is a “low fares” airline service headquartered in Denver, Colorado. They currently serve more than 80 cities in the United States, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

WHO: El Paso International Airport and the City of El Paso

WHAT: Frontier Airlines’ Inaugural Flight from EPIA

WHEN: Friday, March 9, 2018 at 3:00PM

WHERE: El Paso International Airport, 6701 Convair Road – Main Lobby Area

El Paso International Airport (EPIA), for the second year in a row, has tied for second place as the Best Airport in North America in airport service quality.

“We are ecstatic to be recognized for the hard work and dedication of our exceptional staff, tenants and partners, for the second time in a row!” said Monica Lombraña, Managing Director of Aviation and International Bridges, “To land among the top airports in the United States and Canada in terms of outstanding customer service and passenger satisfaction is a great accomplishment.”

The airport’s 2017 recognition is part of the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards presented by the Airports Council International (ACI).

ASQ is the only worldwide program to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. The program measures passengers’ views of 34 key performance indicators. Approximately 74 percent of the world’s top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network, which delivers 600,000 individual surveys per year in 42 languages in 84 countries. The program served 343 airports in 2017.

This is EPIA’s second award since commencing participation in the Airport Service Quality survey program in 2015; El Paso International Airport tied with Toronto and Ottawa Airports for second place. A total of 47 Airports in North America participated in the 2017 ACI ASQ program.

EPIA provided service to over 2.9 million passengers in 2017, a 4.3 percent increase over the previous year. Since 2016, EPIA has added nine new non-stop flights.

The Airport continues investing in its facilities to maintain a pleasant travelling experience for its passengers. Recently implemented improvements include nursing rooms, a pet relief area, the ELP junior Pilot’s lounge play area, and the interactive ELP Virtuwall.

Programmed and ongoing improvements include the reconstruction of Runway 4-22, the Checked Baggage Inspection System, landscaping improvements, and a state of the art Passenger Notification System.

North America

First place (tie): Indianapolis (IND); Jacksonville (JAX)
Second place (tie): El Paso (ELP); Ottawa (YOW); Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ)
Third place (tie): Austin (AUS); Columbus (CMH); Dallas Love Field (DAL); Halifax (YHZ); Pittsburgh (PIT); San Antonio (SAT); San Jose (SJC); Tampa (TPA)

For more information, please visit Fly El Paso and aci.aero