United Airlines will add a sixth daily flight on the Durango-to-Denver route beginning Sept. 27.
The flight will leave Durango-La Plata County Airport at 5:30 a.m. each day, Aviation Director Tony Vicari revealed in a quarterly presentation to La Plata County commissioners on Tuesday.
By adding an early morning departure – currently, the earliest Denver-bound flight leaves at 7 a.m. – the airport will expand the opportunity for same-day round-trip business travel, Vicari said.
In addition to the current five daily flights to Denver, American Airlines and United operate four of five flights daily to Dallas, three flights daily to Phoenix and weekend service in the summer to Houston.
The move comes as airport traffic continues to break records. There have been seven months this year, and seven broken records for monthly traffic, Vicari said. July was the single busiest month the airport has ever had.
To keep pace with growing traffic, the airport is undergoing a large-scale multiphase expansion project, which includes facility upgrades such as terminal expansion, additional gates, a fresh baggage claim and a new TSA screening area.
The Board of County Commissioners gave unanimous approval Tuesday authorizing the airport to take out an $8 million loan from the Colorado State Infrastructure Bank. The 10-year loan has a preferred interest rate of 3.5% and will be paid off solely using revenue generated through the airport enterprise fund.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
