Durango-La Plata County Airport will host tours on the first Thursday of every month to gin up support for building a new terminal. Aviation Director Kip Turner said Tuesday the first tour is designed to draw attention to the aging airport terminal’s “many deficiencies.”
The tour will give a “behind-the-scenes look, at where your bags go” that features the airport’s increasingly decrepit infrastructure and the terminal’s dilapidated offerings for travelers.
Asked to name the highlight of the tour, Turner said, “There isn’t just one. There are many deficiencies that we deal with behind the scenes of the terminal complex.”
Two people went on the first tour. Turner expects that many more people will sign up for future tours as word about them gets out.
According to outside consultants, the existing terminal doesn’t meet current needs or future demand. The airport served about 400,000 passengers last year. Growing traffic has strained the airport, which needs more space for airline operations, bathrooms, baggage and security, airport officials say.
In recent months, Turner has repeatedly suggested it’s more sensible to build a new terminal rather than trying to maintain an aging terminal that’s about 25 years old. A new terminal could cost $25 million to $30 million, according to past estimates.
cmcallister@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this article misstated the number of passengers the airport served last year.
