Visitors to Durango-La Plata County Airport will now be greeted with a brand-new 8,000 square-foot baggage claim and welcoming space, marking the conclusion of the first phase of the airport’s 27-month expansion project.
The new wing is spacious, well-lit and inviting. High-vaulted ceilings cast natural light into the space, and a wall of windows frame the expanse of farmland, expanses of sage brush and the towering La Plata Mountains to the west. Paintings, sculptures and cultural exhibits adorn the walls, celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of the region’s population.
On Tuesday afternoon, leaders from La Plata County, the city of Durango and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe; representatives from Sen. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper’s offices; airport staff; students from Ignacio High School; and regional artists attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new wing of the airport. The ceremony celebrated the new wing’s grand opening to the public, which will now serve travelers who come to and from the airport.
Durango Mayor Gilda Yazzie said the expansion will better serve the community, and provide visitors with a better welcome that celebrates the natural beauty of the area and the people who call it home. The 2025 Colorado Aviation Economic Impact Study found that the airport helped generate 1,993 jobs and $342 million in business revenue. The expansion promises to continue to add revenue to the region, Yazzie said.
“This is where visitors come for the first time to Durango and La Plata County,” Yazzie said. “They’ll see such a beautiful airport, and it looks like it’s going to drive our economic engine here.”
Yazzie said that with an increase in visitors from across the country looking to visit Durango or participate in the region’s plethora of outdoor activities, the expansion will better be able to welcome them.
Airport Aviation Director Toni Vicari said the expansion comes as the airport has been seeing increases in air traffic. In June, the airport announced airplanes with more seating capacity would be servicing Durango, and that the expansion is meant to coincide with the larger numbers of passengers.
“The whole intention of the terminal expansion program is twofold,” Vicari said. “One to modernize the existing facilities, and then secondarily, to rightsize them, so that they can accommodate the continued growth we’re seeing.”
Larger aircraft results in larger groups of people moving through the terminal at any given time, Vicari explained. Having more spacing, gates and seating capacity is crucial to serving those travelers. In addition to the building’s expansion, 150 new paved parking spaces were added to the airport’s main parking lot, and rooftop solar panels on the expansion now provide 25% of the airport’s electricity, Vicari said.
“We're continuing to expand other areas of the airport facilities aside from just the terminal building,” Vicari said. “Basically, as we continue to see more traffic, that we can park the vehicles of those that are using the airport.”
The expansion comes after two years of construction, Vicari said. In 2023, the airport broke ground on the expansion – construction that will unfold in two phases – ultimately ending in 2027. The new wing of the airport is a major step in the expansion, though it will feel a bit awkward at first, Vicari said.
“When folks first utilize this space, it'll feel a bit isolated because it doesn't yet perfectly tie into the whole building,” Vicari said. “But it’s a major improvement in terms of the existing baggage claim and arrival space at the airport. So we’re pretty excited about it and the level of service that they’ll provide as an update here.”
Vicari said the expansion cost $28.5 million. Of that, Vicari explained, $18 million came from a Federal Aviation Administration grant, which combined Airport Improvement Program and bipartisan infrastructure law funds; $500 thousand from the Colorado Department of Transportation Aeronautics Grant Program; $8 million from a low-interest Colorado Department of Transportation loan; and $2 million from the airport’s reserve funds.
In addition to the improvement of services, the new expansion serves as an art gallery and cultural exhibit, celebrating the diverse talents and cultures of people in the region, Durango Creative District Executive Director Kathryn Waggener said.
“Part of the creative district’s duties for the city is working to implement or coordinate art with infrastructure projects,” Waggener said. “So we publicized really hard in very specific areas, and we were really thrilled with the response that we got.”
Waggener said the district worked hard to curate a complex, unique and encompassing art exhibit to greet visitors.
“We did so much just in the review process,” Waggener said. “What's the story about not just Durango, but this region that we're trying to share?”
A glass exhibit curated by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe tells travelers about the tribe’s ties to the region and showcases art from Indigenous creators. Southern Ute tribal council member Marty Pinnecoose said in a written statement to the Herald that the expansion marks an important milestone in enhancing access to the world and expanding opportunities for tribal members, businesses and the future.
“The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is proud to participate in this progress,” Pinnecoose said. “As the original stewards of this land and donors of the site on which the airport stands, we recognize the importance of this development in strengthening regional connectivity and honoring our commitment to future generations.”
Pinnecoose said the tribe is proud of the contributions tribal members and staffers made to the airport’s expansion. They volunteered their time to serve on advisory boards and to help curate the cultural exhibits that now welcome every traveler.
“These displays offer more than a warm greeting – they stand as a proud and authentic reflection of our people, our culture, and our enduring legacy,” she said.
A massive wood carving by Ouray-based artist Cie Hoover covers the wall overlooking the baggage carousel. A welded turtle made by local artist Jeff Glode Wise and students enrolled in the Ignacio High School welding program hangs from the ceiling. Finally, a mural from Mancos-based painter Annie Bussell is painted above the windows overlooking the La Platas.
I was really excited about the multi generational aspect and being a little more playful with our public art,” Waggener said. “This is where people are waiting for their bags that hopefully come after long arduous journeys. It's like the closest thing to a public museum that we have in terms of how people can actually spend time with the pieces.”
Vicari said the next phase of the expansion, which will include with a future TSA screening checkpoint, two new airline boarding gates and additional concession spaces, will conclude in late 2026 or 2027.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
