The Cortez Municipal Airport has renewed its contract with Denver Air Connection (Key Lime Air) for four years. The new contract went into effect on Oct. 1 and will continue until Sept. 30, 2028.
“We are continuing a partnership with DAC to maintain reliable and safe connectivity to the National Transportation System and improve economic and community development,” airport manager Jeremy Patton told The Journal.
The contract renewal was issued on Aug. 21 after bids were reviewed. The U.S. Department of Transportation selected DAC to provide a total of 24 weekly round trips, which consists of 12 weekly round-trip flights to Denver International Airport and 12 weekly round trips to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. One of the aircraft to be utilized is a nine-seat Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 23 aircraft.
The annual subsidy rate is $6,876,394 for Year 1, $7,357,741 for Year 2, $7,872,783 for Year 3 and $8,423,878 for Year 4.
The contract also provides information on the usage of a nine-seat Metroliner 23 aircraft at a first-year annual subsidy rate of $6,410,791 and a second-year rate of $6,603,115.
In April, DOT requested community comments as they choose an airline for the airport, and Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina urged DOT to choose DAC again.
“While Advanced Air LLC does very well in the communities they operate, we do not have the desire or need to switch to another carrier. We would be starting over, essentially, on building professional relationships, testing the waters of reliability and safety and waiting months to obtain these measures,” Medina said. “Our current carrier has proved to be reliable and consistent for the last twenty months.”
According to documents acquired by The Journal, DAC has been in operation for 26 years, starting as a cargo operation. It is based in Centennial Airport in Arapahoe County.
“Denver Air Connection has an established presence, understanding and appreciation for the challenging terrain, busy airspace and weather demands of our state,” Medina said.
Five specific areas DOT considered when making the selection were “the demonstrated reliability of the applicant in providing scheduled air service, the contractual, marketing, code-share or interline arrangements the applicant has made with a larger air carrier serving the hub airport, the preferences of the actual and potential users of air transportation at the eligible place, whether the air carrier has included a plan in its proposal to market its services to the community and the total compensation proposed by the air carrier for providing scheduled air service under this section.
They are also required to include at least two daily round trips six days a week.
“DAC’s proposal meets the air carrier selection criteria the department is required to consider, and the department finds its service and subsidy levels reasonable. DAC received community support and it has provided reliable air service at Cortez and other EAS communities,” DOT said.
