Gunnison-Crested Butte airport master plan is in the works

Opportunities to increase traffic are there

According to the consultants hired to help formulate a 10-year master plan for the local airport, airports like the Gunnison-Crested Butte facility are unique. Being based on a destination resort and supported by revenue guarantees instead of the surrounding population, small regional airports are facing many challenges. If the challenges are met and the airport traffic increases, the infrastructure must keep pace. That means spending money on things like terminal expansion and runway improvements.

At a meeting on March 24, consultants under the umbrella of the firm Jviation presented the Gunnison County Commissioners with some of the findings and conclusions from the Planning Advisory Committee. As the aviation world evolves through mergers and price adjustments, there are fewer major airlines and the planes are getting bigger and more crowded, and flying less frequently.
Consultant Jeff Hartz said 50-seat airplanes that fly between Denver and Gunnison in the shoulder seasons would likely be gone in five to ten years. “The question is, can GUC support 70-seat aircraft in the shoulder seasons?”
One reason they might not work here is because of the significant “leakage” experienced with the local airport. Given very competitive airfares available at Denver International Airport, the majority of flyers living in the valley opt to take the four-hour drive to DIA instead of using the Gunnison airport. They appear to primarily use United and Southwest airlines.
“While Gunnison’s fares are competitive with Montrose and Grand Junction, they are significantly higher than Denver’s. Denver is cheap and competitive with a variety of schedule and service levels,” Hartz said.
On the bright side, Hartz noted that GUC services major hubs like Houston, Dallas and Chicago on at least some level, and those cities contain a lot of the country’s ski population. He said looking west to Los Angeles could offer potential opportunities to grow the airport. Other opportunities, according to Hartz, include American flights to Phoenix, Delta flights from Atlanta, more United routes to San Francisco or L.A. and Alaska Airlines to LAX or Seattle.
“Over the next 20 years, even a slight increase in new business or retention can have a significant impact on the airport here,” Hartz said.
At a meeting in April, the consultants will present a detailed analysis to the commissioners of what local facilities might need to be improved and expanded. Preliminary conclusions are that the runway pavement is deteriorating and needs reconstruction and the terminal building is inefficient and congested.