ABQ RIDE escorts 32 veterans to Honor Flight sendoff at Sunport

ABQ RIDE buses carried 32 veterans to the Albuquerque Sunport in a ceremonial sendoff that briefly shut down Interstate 25 and put Albuquerque’s public honors on full display. The group included veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, heading to Washington, D.C., for an Honor Flight built around visits to memorials created in their name.

The trip was part of a national program run by Honor Flight Network, which was founded in 2005 by Jeff Miller and Earl Morse and now operates through more than 130 hubs nationwide. The network says it has honored more than 339,000 veterans since its start and served 22,098 veterans in 2025 alone.

Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico, the local 501(c)(3) chapter, flies veterans to Washington free of charge and gives priority to World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans, along with terminally ill veterans. Its itinerary includes the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. Airfare, lodging, meals and ground transportation are covered for veterans, while each veteran is paired with a guardian who pays his or her own way.

The Albuquerque sendoff showed how strongly the city can mobilize around veterans when transit, law enforcement and airport operations move in step. Police escorted the ABQ RIDE buses to the Sunport, and the shutdown of Interstate 25 gave the moment a visibility that matched its symbolism: a public corridor temporarily turned into a route of honor for aging service members. For Bernalillo County, the scene was more than ceremony. It pointed to a local network of agencies and volunteers capable of making an emotionally significant trip accessible for veterans who might not otherwise make the journey.

Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico said its 2026 trip was scheduled for June 3-5, with applications due March 15, 2026, underscoring that the Sunport sendoff was part of a continuing effort, not a one-time tribute. In Albuquerque, the challenge now is whether that same level of recognition is matched year-round with the practical support veterans need long after the buses leave the curb.