I recently read that passenger traffic is down at the airport, and today, I again heard the airport ad encouraging all of us to fly out of the airport so we could take a hike earlier in the day. Really? That’s your best shot? We live here. We can hike every day. The ad sounds like something from an outside ad agency in awe of Durango. The ad didn’t address the reasons that we don’t fly out of Durango. We drive to Albuquerque or Denver because it’s cheaper, not because we don’t know what else to do with our time. Ways to address the issue include pointing out parking fees versus being dropped off by a friend. Gas. Comparing the flight costs; often the difference for me has been less than $50. Point out the possibility of a flight being delayed and having to get a hotel room. Or driving that lonely stretch from Albuquerque at midnight. Our airport won’t win on flights that terminate in Denver. The cost of that short flight is quite high, and then you would have to rent a car on arrival. I hope the airport isn’t using our tax dollars for those ads. A lot less money could have been spent more effectively on a good newspaper ad, and a survey promising free coffee coupons redeemable at the airport, or free parking. But La Plata Airport? Don’t tell us to go take a hike.
Debby Malcolm
Durango
