Aspen Flights to Divert to Grand Junction?

A lifetime ago, before Vail-Eagle County Airport was expanded to handle commercial aviation (and probably before it even bore that name, Grand Junction's Walker Field was considered a reasonable air gateway to Aspen. It was closer than Denver via a drive without two high passes. In fact, some ski tour operators packaged Aspen land arrangements with Grand Junction flights.

At this writing, Colorado still hasn't experienced more than dustings of snow here and there (see my previous post), so a recent report in the Grand Junction Sentinel carries a bit of surrealism. But memories are sharp of the heavy blizzards that played havoc with traffic at Denver International Airport, where many/most passengers flying to Aspen transfer -- and small mountain airports like Aspen's carry their own weather vulnerabilities. Last winter, 335 Aspen flights were canceled, requiring alternate arrangements for some 15,000 passengers. (How those flying into Aspen might have been affected was not covered in the report, but then again, it's hard to feel sorry for people with their own LearJets who might be inconvenienced.)

Sentinal reporter Mike McKibbin wrote that "The two largest airlines at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport hope some planned schedule and operational changes, such as diverting more flights to Grand Junction when Aspen has heavy snow, will help them avoid problems encountered last winter.

"SkyWest, which operates United Express flights in Aspen, accounts for 75 percent of the Aspen airport’s commercial business, according to airport figures. SkyWest also operates Delta flights, while Mesa Airlines, US Airways and America West serve the airport, too.

"'Many of last winter’s canceled flights resulted from blizzards and inclement weather at other airports,' SkyWest spokeswoman Marissa Snow said. 'Blizzards that hit Denver immediately before and after Christmas led to the cancellation of several packed flights to Aspen,' she said."

Did you notice the quote about blizzards from some named Snow? About 30 daily commercial flights are scheduled for Aspen this winter, including SkyWest and Mesa Airlines commuters from Denver. Those are vulnerable to weather problems on the Front Range, though Denver International Airport itself has promised to improve its snow removal operations. Longer nonstops from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago and shorter ones from Phoenix and Salt Lake could also be affected in some situations.

Then, there were elevation issues impacting some Aspen Flights. McKibbin wrote, "Early-winter cancellations of SkyWest flights occurred last year when barometric pressure dropped lower than the level at which the CRJ-700 aircraft, which SkyWest uses in Aspen, was allowed to fly." Didn't SkyWest notice Aspen's elevation?, I wonder.

In any case, with new diversion plans in place and DIA ramping up its snow removal operations, a superstitious person might think that it won't snow at all. But I'm optimistic, not superstitious, so I'm hoping it will snow any day now.