Essential to the Future
INTER-REGIONAL BUSINESS FACILITATION
The Airport increases the economic and ecological efficiency of local small and medium-sized businesses by allowing direct access to Palo Alto, avoiding transfers through congested large airports and the highways that connect them.
JOB CREATION
The Airport creates hundreds of local jobs and trains local talent to be the next generation of professional pilots, aircraft mechanics, and air traffic controllers, helping fill the relentless national need. On-airport businesses and indirect economic benefits to the area are estimated at more than $30M annually.
SELF-SUSTAINING
The Airport operates as an Enterprise Fund that requires no tax revenues from the City of Palo Alto. Property and sales tax revenue generated on the Airport not only cover Airport expenses, but contribute to the City’s General Fund for citywide services such as those provided by the Palo Alto Unified School District.
Essential to the Community
MEDICAL SERVICES SUPPORT
The Airport provides essential fuel infrastructure that sustains emergency medical helicopter flights to our county’s trauma centers, including Stanford Medical Center. Hospitals cannot host rooftop fueling depots. Stanford Medical Life Flight alone completes over 1400 missions per year.
Trauma is not the only critical care supported by Palo Alto Airport. The SF Peninsula is home to world class specialists we can easily take for granted. They receive patients not only locally, but from across the Western States and beyond who lack such thorough services near home. If their serious health afflictions were not enough, these patients commonly face the added burden of long distance travel, sometimes frequently, for the privilege of specialized course of treatment. Travel can cost a day’s drive each direction, demand more of their already weary physical condition, incur overnight lodging costs, expose them to crowds in travel terminals, or pull their loved one away from work and income, more needed than ever, to facilitate the journey.
Local residents like you, but who have trained to fly, are volunteering to transport these patients by private aircraft from airports conveniently near their home, directly to Palo Alto. The direct path, plus customized scheduling, means they can reach their appointment from over 150 miles away and return home often the same day. Patients receive private travel, personalized care, avoid exhausting long drives in traffic, or security lines, sprawling airport terminals, exposure to crowds, etc. They are effusive in gratitude for how much relief this provides them.
These flights, coordinated by Angel Flight West, are provided at the expense of the volunteer pilot and are completely free to patients. Nearly one thousand Angel Flight missions are completed through Palo Alto Airport annually.
ANIMAL RESCUE
Volunteers provide air transport for the relocation of animals from high populations areas to rural communities welcoming them because air travel significantly reduces stress on the animals vs long distance road travel. If you would be interested in volunteering for these service organizations or learning how to fly for them, contact them directly.
DISASTER RESPONSE
The Airport provides aircraft and facilities in support of local and regional natural disaster response and recovery such as during wildfires, earthquakes, and other emergencies.
ECOLOGY
Palo Alto Airport infrastructure improvement schedules include transitioning to clean solar power generation, to unleaded aviation fuel, and eventually to electrically powered aircraft. The Airport supports environmental conservation flights and is a national leader in adopting greener aviation technology and infrastructure.
SERVING YOU
The Palo Alto Airport Association supports the aviation and wider community toward the common goal of improving our airport and its role in the life of our city. Activities include:
- Updated Noise Abatement Procedures
- Advocating for airport modernization, safety enhancements, energy efficiency, and better overall service to the community.
ABOUT US
The Palo Alto Airport Association is composed of friends of the airport in Palo Alto, including pilots, aircraft owners, airport-based business owners, flight clubs and schools, and others. As a 501(3)c nonprofit membership organization, donations to PAAA are tax deductible. Donate here.