Ryan Williams’ letter (Herald, Oct. 18) contains a number of misstatements.
First, he refers to a video in which I appeared on Aug. 16 as listing “arts” as more important than an airport for our economy.
This is in fact untrue.
I was quoting a study that found an airport was more important for income growth in rural Rocky Mountain communities like ours than all but producer services and education.
The full study is available here: http://bit.ly/2foDiSq and the relevant data is on page 16.
He also refers to a “build it and they will come” mentality among those who support the airport. Again, this is untrue.
The proposed terminal is sized for our current passenger volume, and it is sized for the airliners that the industry is rapidly shifting to. The shift is occurring due to the efficiency of the larger aircraft, their profitability and decrease in available pilots.
The fact is, 50-seat aircraft that fly into Durango will be a thing of the past soon. A quick look at fleet acquisitions by Skywest, American and Delta airlines among others would confirm it.
Because of the way the airline industry is moving, our choice is to be able to handle the larger aircraft that the airlines are currently moving to, and higher peak passengers at our terminal who come with those planes, or risk losing our flight service.
Losing our commercial flight service means putting $119 million in household income each year in La Plata County – about $4,500 of income for every household here each year – and $5 million in local taxes generated by visitor spending at risk (http://bit.ly/2eQiAdg ).
Risking those benefits is an approach I call “the Detroit model” of economic growth – or simply being penny wise and pound foolish.
Opponents of the air terminal are content with risking that for our community.
I am not content with taking that risk. I hope other readers of this letter aren’t either and will vote “yes” on 1B for a new air terminal.
Roger Zalneraitis
Durango
