A 21st Century Airport is All About:

Safety in the air and on the ground is the No. 1 Core Community Goal for the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport and for the FAA. To make ASE as safe as possible, the FAA is mandating that we widen the runway and increase the separation between the runway and the taxiway. This, coupled with technology and procedural improvements, will increase safety for all aircraft flying in and out of the airport.

Improving the airport’s runway to meet FAA safety standards does not mean ASE will be inundated with larger planes and increased passenger volume. Tourist numbers in the valley are principally controlled by bed base (the number of hotels and vacation rentals), not the airport’s passenger capacity. The plan for “flexible gates” at the new terminal means that if a plane larger than the CRJ700 or Embraer E175 comes in, the number of gates will decrease, meaning fewer commercial planes can land at the airport.

Long-term financial responsibility and stability for the airport require utilizing federal grants to avoid jeopardizing air service at ASE or burdening local taxpayers. This means partnering with the FAA to reinstate funding, which is currently suspended, to accomplish our community’s goals.

 Getting more visitors to use mass transit to and from the airport represents an enormous opportunity. With today’s terminal and bus system, fewer than 5 percent of travelers use the local buses (RFTA). Luggage-compatible buses and a transit center incorporated into the new terminal could dramatically increase that number. The relatively short round trips between the airport and the towns of Aspen and Snowmass also make those routes among the first that could be served by electric buses.

We believe ASE can be a cutting-edge facility that demonstrates how airports, airlines, and others in aviation can play their part in the green transition. This will include reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution by 30% and building a net-zero terminal incorporating every climate-friendly technology possible, meaning 100% electric with no fossil fuels used to run anything other than the planes.

Airport noise is not going away, but it can be reduced significantly by accommodating (and incentivizing) the cleanest, quietest aircraft possible, which require a wider runway to accommodate their wider wingspans. Other measures to mitigate sound impact include maintaining and strictly enforcing the curfew and replacing gas-powered generators with quiet electric ones.