(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – Governor Walker proclaims September as Aviation Appreciation Month.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities joins with aviation organizations such as the Alaska Air Carriers Association, Alaska Airmen Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Federal Aviation Administration, and Alliance for Aviation Across America to recognize the significance of aviation in Alaska.

Aviation plays a critical role in everyday life for Alaska’s citizens, businesses, industries, and government agencies.  Eighty-two percent of Alaska’s communities are not connected to a highway or road system and rely on aviation to provide all-season access for commerce, transportation, and emergency medical services.

In Alaska, aviation is an economic engine generating 47,000 jobs and $3.5 billion annually in total economic impact.  Governor Walker encourages all Alaskans to celebrate aviation as an important aspect of our Alaskan lifestyle and to recognize the achievements of those who make aviation possible in the Last Frontier.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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