Government officials, business community leaders and local dignitaries gathered at the airport’s state-of-the-art Fixed Based Operations facility to recognize Perot’s contributions to the city of Fort Worth and his innovative work in establishing the world’s first industrial airport.
“Fort Worth Alliance Airport has lived up to its promise as the centerpiece of the 27,000-acre master planned development now known as Alliance, Texas,” said Michael Berry, president of Hillwood, a real estate investment and development company that is part of the Perot family of companies. “Today, Alliance has transformed the North Texas economy. It is home to over 560 companies employing more than 66,000 jobs. Since 1989, Alliance has generated more than $111 billion in economic impact for our region while bringing nearly $3.4 billion in paid taxes to local governments within its boundaries.”
Ignacio Flores, director of Office of Airports for the Southwest Region of the Federal Aviation Administration spoke about how the airport is a great example of a public-private partnership where government and private business work together to bring projects to life.
“It's been more than 30 years since the FAA first partnered with the city of Fort Worth and the Hillwood Perot group," Flores said. "To put it in perspective, the FAA has provided over $310 million in federal funding to construct and expand the airport. This has enabled the airport to welcome a lot of cargo, in particular Amazon, a significant cargo operator at the airport. Funding by the city of Fort Worth and private investments have contributed to making this facility the 20th-busiest cargo airport in the country.”
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker echoed the other speakers about the importance of Perot’s impact to the Alliance area and greater Fort Worth region.
“Just in 2021 alone, Alliance’s economic impact was that of $8.6 billion. Mr. Perot had a vision that this would be a destination for the jobs of tomorrow. How lucky we are to honor him today and know that his vision is rooted deeply here and in the bright future of Fort Worth and North Texas,” she said.
The event also included a tour of the new FBO facility, which includes more than 20,000 square feet of lounges and meeting facilities along with an additional 68,000 square feet of attached hangar space.
According to the dedication press release, Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport is the world's first industrial airport designed for cargo and corporate aviation traffic. It features a vast array of flight services, including air cargo, corporate, private and military aviation, and is the cornerstone for the nation's fastest-growing industrial complex and the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone.
