The Santa Fe Regional Airport’s days as an aviation “orphan” are over.
After over two and a half years and an estimated $21.5 million, phase one of a project to improve the local airport is complete. Visitors will find more parking and concessions, an expanded and remodeled terminal and rotating public art exhibits at the airport.
Northern New Mexico Air Alliance Executive Director Stuart Kirk tells SFR he once saw the Santa Fe Regional Airport as “an orphan.”
“It had no mother and no father. It was just out there all by itself, and the only people that really took interest in it were the private pilots—the people who had their airplanes out there—and they were concerned about the safety and the quality of the runways,” Kirk says.
An awkward paying system, insufficient space and staffing, and unreliable flights contributed to limited usage.
“But there really was no entity that was interested in promoting the airport and getting more flights in here and turning that city asset into something that was really productive and profitable for the city,” he says.
In fact, a survey his nonprofit conducted found approximately 30% of Santa Feans did not know the city had an airport. Since the nonprofit was formed in 2016 to help promote the airport, the City of Santa Fe’s Tourism Department has granted it a $200,000 contract through 2025 to track the airport’s use. Kirk says when The Alliance launched, approximately 200 people used Santa Fe’s airport daily. Today, that number ranges between 800 and 1,000.
The facility has undergone numerous changes since opening as a military airfield in 1941. SFR’s first edition published in 1974 reports renovations for one of the exact issues phase one tackled: safety. Officials resurfaced the runway that year for approximately $1.6 million.
Officials wrapped the first phase of the current airport expansion project Oct. 30. It’s a project that broke ground in March 2022. Kirk says the money has paid for a change in perception of the airport.
Adam Ferguson
Airport officials wrapped the first phase of the airport expansion project Oct. 30.
”I’m delighted at what’s been done. It’s changed the area out there, from a kind of tired airfield to a really modern airport,” he says, “and yet it still preserved much of the quality and characteristics that people want to have when they drive up.”
Airport Manager James Harris, who began leading the expansion in November 2022 alongside Bradbury Stamm Construction, knows well what the project was up against.
“The airport was severely underutilized. It was in pretty bad shape, so we had to come in and fix it, and that’s what we did,” Harris says.
Prior to his hire, the airport had eight people running it. Today, that headcount is over 20. Along the way, delays were plentiful—nearly two years worth. When officials began the project, they anticipated the first phase would be complete by January 2023. In March, outgoing City Manager John Blair told SFR he anticipated officials would wrap by the end of that month. Harris says the timeline was impacted by unforeseen problems during the project.
As the first phase of the airport’s remodel wound down, SFR took a tour to see how the airport has changed and learn what’s still to come.
TERMINAL
Many who flew out of Santa Fe in previous years remember when the airport’s terminal was a handful of chairs packed tightly together in a small, dimly lit room. The first phase of improvements enlarged the area by 8,199 square feet; added an additional departure/arrival gate; included new public art exhibits; and created additional restrooms.
The most recent art exhibit series focuses on the elements. The terminal debuted with art inspired by water and now has earth-inspired selections. To celebrate the 100th Zozobra burning, several statues sit on a shelf above one of the departure/arrival gates.
AIRLINE OFFICE RELOCATION
Airline offices were moved and a new one was created for additional flights, Harris says. The airport currently has 12 daily departures, and Harris hopes to attract more.
“When the airlines look at new routes, they look at capacity. During the construction, our capacity was just not very good,” Harris says. “Once we started opening up parking lots and the new wing opened, they started looking at us more.”
His first target is due west.
“We’re shooting for Los Angeles,” Harris says, noting a Request For Proposals will be released within a month.
Adam Ferguson
Airport Manager James Harris has led expansion efforts since joining the city team in November 2022.
Kirk says a 2023 Northern New Mexico Air Alliance study using geofencing showed a day in which approximately 40,000 people started their day in California and ended it in Santa Fe. Geofencing refers to creating a virtual boundary that enables software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or exits an area.
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION
Just months ago, the front of the Santa Fe Regional Airport was riddled with dirt, traffic cones and next to no parking. Now that phase one is complete, the airport has additional parking, revamped lanes for curbside circulation, a cell phone waiting lane and pedestrian facilities.
However, improvements come with a price tag, and Harris says paid parking returns Dec. 1.
“The parking lot was in such bad condition when I got here that I canceled those fees,” he says.
Now that the parking lot is close to completion, Harris says he is comfortable charging. Visitors will have 30 minutes of free parking, and the overnight rate is $7 per day.
District 3 City Councilor Pilar Faulkner, whose district covers the airport, tells SFR she receives a lot of complaints about parking in the area, but reintroducing fees gives her pause.
“If they’re going to use the fees to keep fixing the parking situation then it makes sense, but if not, it doesn’t make sense,” Faulkner says.
Currently, people who travel to and from the Santa Fe Regional Airport must walk from a mostly unmarked dirt parking lot that is free. That won’t change just yet, Harris says, but airport officials will now “roll right into getting those paved and set up” as phase one wraps.
Transportation to and from the airport has been historically problematic, Kirk notes.
Adam Ferguson
“There was a long time when if you didn’t have a ride set up, you were essentially stranded,” he says. “We had people who flew in, and they were thinking—like most of us probably would—that they’ll go out and there’ll be the taxis there, or they’ll call Uber or Lyft or something like that, and then they’d get here and there wasn’t anybody, especially later at night.”
Illegal, unlicensed taxis emerged, creating more headaches. Harris says officials have been working with the New Mexico Department of Transportation to mitigate illegal taxi services overcharging passengers.
“We have new taxi companies in the city who operate all around the city. We have a taxi stand and a ride-share stand,” Harris says. “As soon as you walk out, you’ll see the taxis lined up. Passengers can get right in and get to where they need to.”
District 4 City Councilor Amanda Chavez tells SFR that picture needed to change.
“We should be able to accommodate arriving to our city much easier. I won’t even say just tourists, but just families in general,” Chavez says. “Let’s make that travel convenient for everybody that’s in Santa Fe or wanting to visit our beautiful city.”
SECURITY
While security at an airport is required, spending nearly $1 million to do it was not. That’s why, Harris says airport officials created eight city employee security positions, totalling $680,808 per year, for 24-hour coverage. He said moving away from private security, “saved us about $250,000 a year.”
“We used to have to call the supervisor of contracted security guards—who may or may not have been in Albuquerque or Los Angeles—to get the guards on the ground that I’m standing right in front of to get something done.” Harris says. “Now, it’s much easier.”
Currently, five of eight positions are filled. In addition to these guards, airport officials are currently installing cameras in the parking lot.
“We’re getting serious,” Harris says.
THE FUTURE
With phase one in its dying days, the overall project still has a ways to go. Phase two includes a new terminal and connecting the airport to Highway 599. The city received $2 million from the New Mexico Legislature to pay for the design of the second phase and another $4.5 million for the road.
To create the new terminal, Harris says, airport officials will take over a building that is currently used by Signature Aviation, which is building a new home base near the airport.
Harris’ wish list also includes adding jet bridges. Those who currently fly in or out of Santa Fe must walk on the tarmac to board or deplane.
“They’re pretty expensive, so it’ll be determined on how much we actually get,” he says. “I would like to get at least two, and then we’d still have at least two gates that were still ramp access.”
Adam Ferguson
The expanded terminal adds a new arrival/departure gate, rotating art exhibits and over 8,000 square feet of additional space.
By the end of the second phase, Harris notes, there will be over 700 parking spaces at the airport.
The second phase of the project also includes bringing a restaurant to the airport and adding a gift shop. Harris believes those RFPs will be released within a month. Once phase two is complete, he says the airport will be “in good shape.”
A timeline for the renovation project schedules completion of phase two by Spring 2027. Harris says that projection is “still looking good.”
PARKING FEES
FIRST 30 MINUTES: Free
DAY RATE: $7
NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AIRPORT USAGE
The Santa Fe Regional Airport showed the highest percentage of growth in terms of passengers departing in northern New Mexico between 2022 and 2023. SFR compared enplanement numbers—extracted from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Carrier Activity Information System—with other airports in the region.
Santa Fe Regional Airport
2022: 123,452
2023: 140,257 (+13.61%)
Albuquerque International Sunport
2022: 2,317,836
2023: 2,605,163 (+12.40%)
Taos Regional Airport
2022: 6,891
2023: 7,033 (+2.06%)
SAF Total Departures and Arrivals
2022: 246,904
2023: 280,514
City of Santa Fe Communications Director Regina Ruiz tells SFR
2024 numbers will be released in March 2025.
