Navajos see Grand Canyon flights as economy boost

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - An American Indian tribe whose reservation borders the Grand Canyon wants to boost its economy by giving tourists an aerial view of the massive gorge.

Nearly 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year, and some undoubtedly take a highway that runs through Navajo Nation communities. Navajo lawmaker Walter Phelps sees potential in that number. He has sponsored legislation in the Tribal Council that asks the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Park Service to exempt air tour operators flying to or from the reservation from having to use valuable allocations required for commercial air tours at the Grand Canyon, similar to what the Hualapai Tribe has. Navajo officials have talked about taking tourists from Cameron to the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers, which boasts a wide view of the Grand Canyon, but Phelps said it's too soon to think about possible routes. The tribe would have to get the blessing of the park service and an exemption from allocations if any of the flights cross over into the park boundaries. The FAA granted the Hualapai Tribe an exemption more than a decade ago after finding that it would suffer adverse economic impacts by regulating flights. The Hualapai reservation lies south of Grand Canyon National Park, while the Navajo Nation is on the east end of the canyon. The difference between Hualapai and Navajo is that the Hualapai Tribe already was operating flights from its reservation when Congress mandated that the park service and the FAA come up with a way to manage flights over the Grand Canyon. AP