Earlier this month I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the West Virginia Aviation Conference in Charleston. It was there that aviation leaders throughout the State gathered to discuss the importance of aviation to West Virginia and what needs to be done to improve upon our aviation infrastructure.

In my remarks, I noted that Friday, August 19, is National Aviation Day. This date was chosen to commemorate Orville Wright's birthday and celebrate the first sustained flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903.

The legacy of the Wright Brothers' innovation is alive and well today, particularly in West Virginia. For one thing, our State has significant airspace and is well positioned to be a tremendous relief valve for overcrowded East Coast hubs. We have a sound system of interstate highways to connect our airports to the rest of the State and the Nation. And we have a superb workforce and are able to enlarge our air transportation infrastructure to accommodate modern needs.

All of these factors are important to maintaining a strong State economy. Aviation is a tremendous engine that helps power many of our local economies and we must nurture our airports to make them more competitive and able to sustain and attract business. Aviation is a jobs generator and a natural magnet for economic viability.

Many important initiatives are occurring at southern West Virginia airports that will create improved conditions for economic development. Several of our airports have received or are competing for federal grants to enhance the services they offer. The Essential Air Service (EAS) program has provided federal funding in recent years to airports in Beckley and Bluefield. Money provided by the EAS program has allowed these airports to undertake important improvements while freeing up other resources.

Tri-State Airport recently opened a new training facility for its workers. This facility, built largely with money I helped secure from the Federal Aviation Administration, will train emergency personnel to deal with any contingency that may arise at the airport. Airport police will also use the facility to review safety and security procedures, enhancing access and perimeter security at the airport. I was there to dedicate the new facility and am very proud of the work being done there. In fact, in collaboration with the Rahall Transportation Institute, I announced a grant of up to $20,000 for Tri-State to put the finishing touches on the training facility.

This new facility at Tri-State Airport, coupled with the significant investment being made on the King Coal Highway, the Heartland Corridor and an intermodal facility at Prichard, puts the Wayne-Cabell area on track for tremendous economic growth. This is just one example of what increased attention to our aviation infrastructure can do for our local economies.

In addition, I am working with local leaders in Beckley to increase access to the Raleigh County Airport. I was able to secure $500,000 in the federal Transportation Bill to do work on US 3 and WV 19 near Airport Road. By improving traffic flow along this corridor, the Raleigh County Airport and the industrial park will benefit from increased activity and will be better positioned to take advantage of economic development opportunities.

Businesses are drawn to those communities that boast a strong local airport. And our state boasts many strong local airports-many of which continue to improve.

As we observe National Aviation Day, we celebrate the important role aviation plays in our communities and recognize that improving our aviation infrastructure is an important tool in improving our economy.