Pima County approves $830,000 in federal grants to improve 'neglected' Ajo airport

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to accept grants from the Federal Aviation Administration for safety upgrades at the Ajo airport.

On Aug. 25, the Board of Supervisors voted to procure the grants — totaling more than $830,000 — and to match the federal funds with $37,000 and an additional match of $37,000 from the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The Eric Marcus Municipal Airport had been neglected and fallen into disrepair, according to airport staff. But after Pima County, who owns and operates the airport, hired its first manager in 2023, it sought funding to rehabilitate the airfield and bring it to modern standards.

Chairwoman Jennifer Allen represents the county district that includes Ajo.

“This is a kind of a baby step in a much more robust economic development plan that a lot of stakeholders and organizations and residents in Western Pima County have been working on,” Allen said.

Allen said the county and airport hope to bring more tourists to Ajo to support local businesses.

“The hope is that it will increase some flight traffic for people who are flying in and out to get down to the beach in Mexico,” Allen said.

The two federal grants, worth $390,554 and $443,000 respectively, are to upgrade the precision approach path indicator and runway end identifier lights, and to upgrade the airports electrical systems and vault to bring them up to current code and aviation standards.

The electrical upgrades pave the way for potential future improvements, like a weather station and fuel farm.

“It's a community that has really been trying to, I think, kind of bounce back from the shutdown of the mine,” Allen said. “And figure out its new identity, and bring in both tourist dollars and support the growth of local business, so I think the airport is a step in that direction.”