In case you missed it, the Vail/Eagle County Regional Airport celebrated a huge success on Monday, March 5.
Excerpt from the Vail Daily on Tuesday, March 6:
A privately chartered Boeing 767-200ER jet out of Washington, D.C., touched down at about 5 p.m. — the largest commercial aircraft ever to land at the county airfield.
Greg Phillips, Eagle County aviation director, received a call Friday inquiring if the facility could accommodate the Boeing 767 charter.
“We knew we had a long enough runway, but when a flight like this gets scheduled, there’s a lot of checking and double checking,” said Phillips.
After a thorough review of both runway length and pavement strength, the airport confirmed it could handle aircraft.
“There are very few airports in central Colorado that could,” Phillips said.
The arrival brought several airport workers out of their offices to witness the historic landing.
“It’s good to know that a 767 can land, on paper, and it’s even better to see it happen,” said Phillips.
Why is this important?
Commercial airports, including the Eagle County Regional Airport, are a huge driver of the economy. Nationally, commercial airports are responsible for 8% of the GDP. Colorado has 14 commercial airports, supporting over 325,000 jobs and resulting in over $34,000,000,000 in economic output. Big numbers, but what do they mean for Eagle County?
Given our reliance on tourism to support our economy and our economic growth moving forward, the Eagle County Regional Airport and its continued growth are essential to our success as both a tourism destination, as well as a community. The airport supports not only our tourism economy, but also increases access to the Valley for our second homeowners and provides convenience to our year-round population. Not to mention the jobs supported by the airport and ancillary services.
In addition, there are future opportunities at the airport that could grow our economy. The EGE Air Alliance, a public/private partnership, is hoping to grow service in the summer months as well as from key markets during the winter months. The Vail Valley Jet Center and Eagle County are also working on and researching the feasibility of an international terminal at the airport.
The potential of an increased service and the addition of an international terminal will benefit the entire community in a positive way, as our international visitation continues to grow and as our real estate community is increasing dependent on this market. The combination of charter flights (currently landing in Denver), potential new commercial service and the growth opportunities via an international terminal present huge opportunities for Eagle County. Stay tuned for more information on this effort as the Partnership will continue to advocate for growth of the Eagle County Regional Airport on behalf of our business members.
What can your business do to help? If you benefit from these efforts, get off the sidelines and join the Partnership. If you are already a member, tell your neighbors to join and help us do even more here in the valley.
As always, I encourage all member businesses to get engaged with the Partnership and to contact us with any suggestions you may have to help us better serve you and for non-members to join the Partnership. Call us at (970) 476-1000 or stop by our offices in Avon at Traer Creek Plaza to share your feedback.