< Previous62 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION (RPK, or 5 trillion miles) were scheduled in 2023. • Around the world, 4,072 commercial airports are served by 1,138 airlines flying more than 29,000 aircraft on 67,300 global routes overseen by 162 air traffic management providers. • Each day in 2023, 12 million passengers boarded a total of 96,577 scheduled flights. • With nearly 61.4 million tons of cargo moved by air in 2023 — equivalent to $8 trillion or 33% of world trade by value — aviation remains essential for keeping supply chains running. • Global airports invested approximately $49.2 billion in construction projects in 2022 alone, creating jobs, modernizing facilities and enhancing infrastructure. • Looking ahead, forecasts show that by 2043, the sector could support 135.4 million jobs and contribute $8.5 trillion to the global economy. The report also outlines the activity underway across the aviation sector as it works toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, notes ATAG. The whole industry is committed to scaling up the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). In 2023, the aviation industry used 500,000 metric tons of SAF, double the amount used in 2022. When compared with conventional fuels, today’s SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80% over their lifecycle. I t’s déjà vu all over again, as the saying often attributed to Yogi Berra goes. Texas wins the Cup for total qualifi ed capital investment projects — its th consecutive fi rst-place fi nish. South Dakota repeats as No. for total projects per capita. Qualifi ed, private-sector projects are those that involve a minimum $ million investment, creation of or more jobs or new construction of , or more square feet. Texas weighed in at , projects for , which is more than the previous year and twice the number of second- place Illinois, which logged . Rounding out the top fi ve states for total projects are Ohio (), California ( ) and Georgia ( ). For projects per capita, South Dakota, too, upped its project count for to from the previous year. Illinois placed second followed by Ohio, Texas and Kentucky (). Following are interviews with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Kristi Noem, who served as governor of South Dakota from through the beginning of , when she became the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Noem was succeeded as governor by her lieutenant governor, Larry Rhoden, who also is interviewed for this report. by MARK AREND mark.arend@siteselection.com Familiar faces return to the winner’s circle after claiming another first-place finish in Site Selection’s annual facilities race. Winning Streaks Composite image by Richard Nenoff 2024 GOVERNOR’S CUPS RANKINGS SITE SELECTION MARCH 2025 63The 2024 Governor’s Cup, the 13thwin in a row for Texas, recognizes the highest project total for Texas ever. To what do you attribute the uptick? Gov. Greg Abbott: Freedom is the force that propelled Texas to national and global economic dominance. People and businesses fl ock to our great state because they know Texas is the home of freedom and opportunity that you can’t fi nd anywhere else. Texas off ers businesses unmatched competitive advantages, including a business-friendly climate, no corporate or personal income tax, a highly skilled workforce, easy access to global markets, robust infrastructure and an exceptional quality of life. at is why Texas continues to be the leader in attracting world- class businesses, investment, and top talent from all over the world. We’re proud to accept the Governor’s Cup from Site TEXAS 64 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION Texas Governor Greg Abbott An Interview with SITE SELECTION MARCH 2025 65 Selection magazine for a record- breaking th year in a row. What impact do you see in the coming years from the new Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology & Innovation (JETI) incentive program? Abbott : In Texas, we move at the speed of business and partner with entrepreneurs rather than look at their businesses as a revenue source like other states do. As a leading economy across the nation and around the globe, economic incentive tools like Texas’ new Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program help us attract large, capital-intensive economic development projects in industry sectors critical for continued growth. e JETI program is structured to keep Texas competitive, ensuring that our great state continues to lead the nation in job growth and innovation. (continued on pg. 70) 2024 TOP STATES BY NUMBER OF PROJECTS 2024 2023 State Project Rank Rank Name Count 1 1 Texas 1,368 2 2 Illinois 664 3 3 Ohio 565 4 4 California 323 5 5 Georgia 262 6 10 North Carolina 261 7 8 Florida 247 8 6 New York 231 9 – Massachusetts 207 10 9 Pennsylvania 200 Source: Conway Projects Database Gov. Abbott and state leaders were happy to welcome their 11th straight Governor’s Cup in 2023. Now the streak is up to 13. Photos courtesy of the Offi ce of the Texas GovernorNext >