My mother used to say that I needed some item of whimsy like I needed a hole in the head. Durango and La Plata County need a new airport terminal just about as bad.
I have heard people on the airport commission talking about the necessity of airport expansion and moving the terminal to the other side of the runway.
The airport in its current configuration is just fine. Does the terminal need to be enlarged? Yes. Does American Airlines need to replace its tent? Yes. Do we need a whole new expensive terminal on the other side of the runway? No!
The La Plata County Airport currently has fewer than 15 arrivals and departures per day. Even if that number were to double, that is still about two flights per hour. That number will not double in the foreseeable future (15 years).
We currently have in place a terminal, baggage facilities and parking all in good working order, though not necessarily big enough to accommodate everyone all the time.
So here is the practical solution: Move the rental car parking to another location. Expand the terminal to the east into the abandoned rental car lot. Hire another baggage handler to speed up the retrieval of baggage from inbound flights.
Total cost is less than $6 million, not the $58 million currently being proposed.
Also, the $58 million will end up at $78 or $98 million and never be approved by the voters – nor should it be.
Then we need to establish a two-state commission with representatives from Durango, La Plata County, Aztec, Farmington and San Juan County, New Mexico, to try to build a better airport access from the south.
The Farmington airport has a limited runway and cannot accommodate larger jets.
A regional airport makes lots of sense.
This is a no-brainer for the entire region.
David Kramer
Durango
