Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2024

DIRECTOR’S CHAIR

Henry Thompson Is Managing A Much-Needed Airport Expansion As Demand Rises

BY CAROL WARD

ditor’s Note: For outdoor adventure lovers, Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) sits in a prime location. It is the closest commercial airport to California’s Yosemite National Park, Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park. As a gateway to three outdoor playgrounds, the airport recovered quickly after the pandemic. Demand for travel to and from the region has continued to ratchet up, giving airport officials the challenge of serving a growing number of travelers with limited facilities. Henry Thompson was named director of aviation for the city of Fresno in December 2022, moving north and inland from his previous post as director of Santa Barbara Airport. Two years in, Thompson is focused on finishing a much-needed airport upgrade with refreshed and expanded airport concessions. Recently, AXN’s Carol Ward spoke with Thompson about his vision going forward. E

growth has continued. So, by the time the terminal opens in the fall of 2025, we’re already going to be busting at the seams again. WARD: Are you ahead now of your 2019 passengers levels? THOMPSON: Absolutely. Fresno is one of the airports that led the pack to recovery. Within a year [after the pandemic hit], we had already reached our 2019 levels. We’ve continued to grow beyond that. We’re the gateway to three national parks - Yosemite National Park, Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park - through Fresno Yosemite International Airport. In anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, you can be in those parks. Also, we have a growing international market here. It’s Mexico now and that is growing, and we also have interest in other international destinations. Calendar year 2022 was our record year for the airport when we saw a total of 2.1 million passengers. In 2023, we were outpacing 2022 so when the final numbers come out for calendar year 2023 we’re expecting it to be our new record year.

WARD: It’s been a little more than two years since you took the helm at FAT. Can you tell me a little bit about your broad-based goals for the organization, and where you are in the process of achieving them? THOMPSON: Our main goal right now is to focus on managing the amazing growth that we’re seeing here at the airport and to provide the needed facilities and services to meet that growth. This is an incredible challenge, but we’re getting there by investing $150 million in a terminal expansion program that’s under construction now. We’re also very clear about our priorities, which are safety, security, and the customer experience. This combined with sound financial management is what’s going to be driving all of our decisions. We’re making good progress two years into this role. We can already see the difference in our focus on priorities. The terminal expansion project is progressing, and this year we will begin to see the building take shape. It’s been a lot of work leading up to this - planning and designing and all of the [related] work - and during that time our

Above: Henry Thompson, Director of Aviation, City of Fresno

20

AX NEWS MARCH 2024