City Offers "Big Texas Welcome" To Embry-Riddle Representatives

Hundreds of business and community leaders, aviation and aerospace professionals, and others gathered at Houston's Ellington Airport (KEFD) Wednesday to welcome Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University President Dr. John Johnson, who is exploring the possibility of naming Houston as a new campus site for the university specializing in aviation and aerospace.

In remarks made at KEFD, Dr. Johnson shared his vision to open a third campus for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to meet the world's aerospace needs. Embry-Riddle has more than 100,000 alumni, and the enrollment for a new campus is estimated to be 1,000 aerospace and aviation students.

"As home to Ellington Airport and NASA, Houston would be the perfect location for Embry-Riddle students," said Mayor Annise Parker. "This is a university that would provide education in a specialized field that would bring even more prestige to Houston, which is why we hope to be their final choice."

Houston Area Sectional

Houston leaders offered details about why the fourth largest city in the United States is a good fit for Embry-Riddle. Houston is home to numerous aviation and aerospace facilities including:

• Ellington Airport (KEFD), military and general aviation airport with more than 90 years of history and 600 acres for development.
• William P. Hobby Airport (KHOU), low-cost carrier airport serving  million passengers.
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH), the largest hub for the largest airline in the world and the eighth busiest airport in the United States serves 40 million passengers.  
• NASA's Johnson Space Center with hundreds of allied businesses in the region and a workforce of more than 14,000 employees.

"The first words spoken as man was landing on the moon were, 'Houston, the eagle has landed,'" said Mario C. Diaz, Houston Airport System director of aviation. "Houston hopes to land the new campus site for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University."

FMI: www.fly2houston.com, www.erau.edu