OPPOSE ASE AIRPORT RUNWAY EXPANSION

Voters in Pitkin County rejected a runway expansion by a 2-to-1 margin in 1995 for the same reasons as we oppose it today.

THE SOLUTION

Although the current commercial planes that service Aspen (CRJ700s) may be phased out eventually (estimated in the late 2030s), planes able to fly into ASE within the 95-foot wingspan limit will continue to be produced. Mitsubishi is currently developing an aircraft to replace the CRJ700s that service ASE.

“.....at 91 ft the wingspan [of the Mitsubishi M100] is 4 ft  shorter with the modified canted wingtip. The shorter span will allow operating at Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, a popular tourist destination.... Deliveries should begin in 2024”.  Sean Broderick, Aviation Week & Space Technology, July 11, 2019.

If the wingspan is increased to 118 feet, not only will we be forced to accept 737s but also the much larger, luxury private aircraft. Airlines have - and will - find a way to service ASE within the current wingspan limit. The route is too profitable not to.

SAY NO TO RUNAWAY GROWTH!

SAY NO TO

  • Increased operations and flights
  • Compromised safety
  • Increasingly disruptive noise
  • Increased air pollution
  • More traffic and congestion
  • More unmitigated growth

SAY YES TO

  • Keeping current runway configuration (95-foot wingspan limit)
  • Rebuilding airport terminal
  • Preserving our quality of life in our valley

SAFETY

A reconfigured runway will attract larger numbers of general aviation (private) aircraft and allow for wingspans of 118 feet. This is a potentially dangerous airport for private pilots not familiar with the challenges at ASE. The mountains around Aspen have claimed many lives and aircraft over the years.

Crash of Challenger at ASE, 2014. NTSB final report said pilots’ failure to control Challenger after an unstabilized approach likely was cause of crash. Photo credit not available.

AIR POLLUTION

It is a fact that larger aircraft need larger engines to propel them. Larger engines burn more fuel, period. Increased emissions from larger engines will add to the already-dismal air quality created by pollution from current airport operations. If you have ever taken a class at Colorado Mountain College near the airport or skied Buttermilk you know the smell of partially-burned jet fuel. We have been asking Pitkin County administration to fund an independent study of current airport emissions for two years. It’s time to get it done.

NOISE

ASE already has a noise problem. While it is true that some larger aircraft may be quieter, we do not get to choose which aircraft commercial airlines or general aviation may use. Once the runway is widened and strengthened, ASE must allow any plane to land/take off that meets regulations for that runway. Some older generation 737s are twice as loud as the CRJ700 currently serving the airport.

Pitkin County does not have choice of aircraft.

If the wingspan limit is increased to 118 feet, the airlines – and private aircraft owners-- will choose the type and model of planes to operate at ASE – not airport officials. We will not have the ability to say no to Gulfstream 650s or 737s—either commercial or private (many of which are older, dirtier and louder).

“You cannot discriminate against a class or category of aircraft.” John Kinney, Aspen Airport Director, Aspen Times 08-11-18.

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