Not having enough landing spots in Albuquerque is not a concern that came in front of the public today. But it is the first time ever that advanced satellite imaging has been used to understand exactly how much land has been used up, according to KRQE. 

And the growing size of the Balloon Fiesta ever since its inception in 1972 has added to the concern.

"So, we don't want to do anything that's going to hurt the development of Albuquerque, but we just need to have landing spots, and that's why we're hopeful the Landing Site Task Force's going to be able to secure some, preserve some others and actually, hopefully, acquire some more," Paul Smith, the executive director of the Balloon Fiesta, said.

While landing space has decreased by about 75% over the last 30 years, KRQE reported, in 2019, the Fiesta generated nearly $190 million in direct and indirect spending. 

A task force was created in 2018 to oversee the situation and come up with potential solutions to alleviate the space dilemma. At that time, the report showed that the balloons generally land in an approximately 7.5 square mile area towards the south of the Balloon Fiesta Park. But the Fiesta faces increasing competition, because for three decades, that same area has been under rapid development.