Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
  • Airport News
    • Publisher’s Message
    • Fast Five
    • On Duty
    • Air Cargo
    • Airline News
    • Airport Community
    • Airport Employment News
    • Airport Safety & Security
    • Company Spotlight
    • Ground Services
    • Intermodal
    • New York Aviation History
    • Non-Rev Traveler
  • Airport & Aviation Events
  • Airport Employment
  • Latest Issue
  • Login

Subscribe for Updates

Get the latest local airport and aviation news delivered right into your inbox each week!

News Updates
New program gives access to First Officer jobs while candidates complete their military service

United Launches Industry-leading Program to Provide Active-duty U.S. Military Pilots Conditional Job Offers

September 29, 2023
PANYNJ Unveils New Construction Facility at JFK Airport

PANYNJ Unveils New Construction Facility at JFK Airport

September 29, 2023
Chrissy Toskos, Chief Human Resources Officer, Securitas North America.

Securitas North America Announces Chrissy Toskos as Chief Human Resources Officer

September 27, 2023
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
  • Airport News
    • Publisher’s Message
    • Fast Five
    • On Duty
    • Air Cargo
    • Airline News
    • Airport Community
    • Airport Employment News
    • Airport Safety & Security
    • Company Spotlight
    • Ground Services
    • Intermodal
    • New York Aviation History
    • Non-Rev Traveler
  • Airport & Aviation Events
  • Airport Employment
  • Latest Issue
  • Login
Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
Home»Aviation News»Airlines Join to Donate 28 Million Dollars for Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
Aviation News

Airlines Join to Donate 28 Million Dollars for Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

Joseph AlbaBy Joseph AlbaFebruary 18, 2018No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
A brass quintet from the U.S. Air Force Band's Ceremonial Brass perform a series of concerts at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum July 4, 2017, Washington, D.C. Nine commercial airlines have donated $28 million to the museum to support the remaking of an exhibition that traces the history of commercial aviation. Photo: JIM VARHEGYI/U.S. AIR FORCE

In a remarkable joint venture, nine commercial airlines have donated $28 million to the National Air and Space Museum to support the remaking of an exhibition that traces the history of commercial aviation, the museum announced.

The rare collaborative gifts from competitors in a cutthroat industry will fund the renovation of “America by Air,” one of the Smithsonian museum’s main attractions. The exhibition features artifacts that trace the evolution of flying, from uniforms and models to Douglas DC-3 and DC-7 planes and the nose of a Boeing 747 that visitors can enter.

The donations are among the first major private gifts to the almost $1 billion renovation of the city’s most popular museum, located on the southern edge of the Mall.
“This is really a breakthrough” museum director Gen. J.R. “Jack” Dailey (Ret.) said. “The airline industry, as competitive as they are, here they have come together.”

Dailey said the joint gift is also important because it comes from new donors to the museum, which opened in 1976. Commercial airlines have contributed in-kind donations, but nothing on this scale. The donations represent a bright spot for a project that has grown increasingly more complicated and expensive. Smithsonian officials have asked Congress for the bulk of the costs, about $676 million, and have pledged to raise $250 million from private donors. Construction is expected to begin this summer and will take seven years because the museum will remain open as the work is done.

“The airlines have never been major players, so this is new money,” said Dailey, who retires this week after 18 years at the helm. “It’s important to us, gives our previous donors a breather.”
American, Delta and United airlines are the lead donors, followed by JetBlue, Alaska, Frontier, Hawaiian and Spirit airlines. Southwest Airlines made a gift last year that will support a new welcome center. The gallery will close this summer and is expected to reopen in 2021.

The plan calls for upgrading the building’s mechanical systems and replacing its stone exterior, repairs that are usually funded by the government. The work will be completed in stages, and museum officials will refresh all 22 galleries as it proceeds.

“We kind of took advantage of the chaos,” Dailey said. “When we open again it will be brand-new, inside and out.”

The museum is forging ahead with the largest capital project in its history despite not having secured funding from Congress. The museum has received funds for new storage, but the first installment of construction money is part of the current fiscal year’s spending bill that is still being negotiated. Smithsonian officials are facing deadlines this spring to purchase materials, including marble and glass for the exterior. Work may be delayed if they can’t buy what they need.

David Rubenstein, chairman of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, acknowledged the uncertainty but said he sees positive signs from Capitol Hill. “There is a lot of support. The Smithsonian is popular,” he said. “Congress likes the idea of joint ventures.”

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Joseph Alba
  • Website
  • LinkedIn

Mr. Alba was previously Editor of the Airport Press for 12 years covering both local as well as global aviation news. Prior to this, Mr. Alba had Executive positions in Systems Engineering and Marketing with IBM World Trade, and had foreign assignments in the Far East and Latin America earning three Outstanding Achievement Awards. Mr. Alba also directed a new function dealing with Alternate Fuels for Public Service Electric & Gas company in New Jersey and founded a Natural Gas Vehicle Consortium consisting of car company executives and fleet owners, and NGV suppliers in New Jersey. Mr. Alba was a founding partner of ATA, an IT Consulting company which is still active in Central and South America. After leaving the armed forces, Mr. Alba’s initial employee was the U.S. Defense Department as an analyst.

RELATED NEWS & UPDATES

Helena Williams, CEO JFK Millennium Partners

The JFK Airport Terminal 6 Revival

September 8, 2023
Midnight receives FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate, expected to begin flight test and become the first eVTOL aircraft to be delivered to a customer as part of Archer’s contracts with the Department of Defense (DoD).

Archer Accelerates Path to Market

August 11, 2023
Boeing and the Rise of the 7x7 Jetliners

Boeing and the Rise of the 7×7 Jetliners

August 8, 2023
SWISS Bids Farewell to a Fleet Icon

SWISS Bids Farewell to a Fleet Icon

July 26, 2023
Dog Sense at Airports

Working Dogs: Dog Sense at Airports

July 14, 2023
NexGen Deicing Trucks

Equivu Capital Launches NexGen Deicing

June 22, 2023
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

AIRPORT & AVIATION EVENTS
Civil Air Patrol Falcon Squadron Meeting
October 09, 2023
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
  • John F. Kennedy International Airport-(JFK)
Jamaica, New York
LAAMCO Monthly General Meeting
October 10, 2023
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
  • LaGuardia Airport-(LGA)
East Elmhurst, New York
ADDAPT Dinner Group
October 10, 2023
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The Heritage Club
Farmgindale, New York
  • >> More Airport & Aviation Events

Subscribe for Weekly Email Updates

Get the latest local airport news, events, and jobs delivered right into your inbox each week.

Metropolitan Airport News provides timely news, information and updates for both Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees and businesses that provide services at, and around the major New York airports (JFK, LGA, EWR).

John F. Kennedy International Airport
PO Box 300877
Jamaica, NY 11430 USA
Phone: (347) 396-0904
Email Us

Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE
Metropolitan Airport News - September 2023
LATEST COMMENTS
  • Robert Waldvogel on Long Island MacArthur: New York’s Secondary Airport
  • USN Veteran on Long Island MacArthur: New York’s Secondary Airport
  • Stephen Adams on The Ultimate Airline Employee Incentive
  • Jeff Landgrebe on The Ultimate Airline Employee Incentive
  • About Us
  • Advertising Options
  • Charitable Giving Program
  • Back Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
© 2023 Airport Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.