Durango–La Plata County Airport
Durango–La Plata County Airport | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Operator | City of Durango & La Plata County | ||||||||||
Serves | Durango, Colorado | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 6,685 ft / 2,038 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 37°09′05″N 107°45′14″W / 37.15139°N 107.75389°WCoordinates: 37°09′05″N 107°45′14″W / 37.15139°N 107.75389°W | ||||||||||
Website | www.FlyDurango.com | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
DRO Location of airport in Colorado / United States DRO DRO (the US) | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2011) | |||||||||||
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Durango–La Plata County Airport (IATA: DRO[2], ICAO: KDRO, FAA LID: DRO) is a city- and county-owned public airport 12 miles southeast of Durango, in La Plata County, Colorado.[1]
The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport.[3] Federal Aviation Administration records say it had 134,386 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[4] 148,077 in 2009 and 163,611 in 2010.[5]
Facilities
The airport covers 1,281 acres (518 ha) at an elevation of 6,685 feet (2,038 m). Its one runway, 3/21, is 9,201 by 150 feet (2,804 x 46 m) asphalt.[1]
In 2011 the airport had 29,020 aircraft operations, average 79 per day: 69% general aviation, 22% air taxi, 8% airline, and 2% military. 70 aircraft were then based at the airport: 87% single-engine, 11% multi-engine, and 1% helicopter.[1]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
American Airlines | Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor Seasonal: Los Angeles |
United Airlines | Denver |
The airport has three boarding gates, five plane stands, a pre-security restaurant and a gift shop. It has free wi-fi internet terminal-wide.
Historical airline service
Several airlines flew mainline jets to Durango. American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80s flew to Dallas/Fort Worth during several winter ski seasons starting in 1994-95; America West Airlines Boeing 737-200s flew to Albuquerque and Phoenix, and the original Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) flew Boeing 737-200s to Denver, and weekend 737 flights to Dallas/Fort Worth during several winter ski seasons. Frontier had served Durango for years with Convair 580 turboprops with flights to Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah; the first jets to serve Durango were Frontier 737s in 1977. During the 1990s, Reno Air operated MD-80 jetliners nonstop to Los Angeles International Airport and also to Albuquerque Sunport.[6]
A number of regional and commuter airlines served DRO, mainly to Denver. Aspen Airways flew British Aerospace BAe 146-100 jets and Convair 580 turboprops as an independent airline and later as United Express; Rocky Mountain Airways flying as Continental Express operated ATR-42s, Beechcraft 1900Cs and de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7s; Mesa Airlines operating as United Express flew Beechcraft 1900Cs, de Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8s and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias, and GP Express Airlines (Continental Connection) flew Beechcraft 1900Cs. Trans-Colorado Airlines served Durango as Continental Express with Fairchild Swearingen Metroliners.[7]
All flights now are regional jets. American Eagle, flying for American Airlines, has nonstops to Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix on Canadair CRJ-900. United Express flights nonstop to Denver are flown on Canadair CRJ-200, Canadair CRJ-700, or Embraer ERJ-145.
Statistics
Top destinations
Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Denver, Colorado | 91,280 | United |
2 | Dallas, Texas | 56,620 | American |
3 | Phoenix, Arizona | 39,490 | American |
4 | Los Angeles, California | 600 | American |
Accidents and incidents
- On January 19, 1988, Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 crashed while on approach to Durango-La Plata Airport. 9 of the 17 passengers and crew on board are killed in the accident.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 4 FAA Airport Master Record for DRO (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective November 15, 2012.
- ↑ "IATA Airport Code Search (DRO: Durango / La Plata)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ↑ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on 2012-09-27.
- ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
- ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
- ↑ http://www.routemapsonline.com
- ↑ departedflights.com, Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American editions: April 1, 1974; Nov. 15, 1979; April 1, 1981; July 1, 1983; Dec. 15, 1989; Oct. 1, 1991
- ↑ "RITA - BTS - Transtats".
- ↑ Plane Crash Kills Eight in Colo.; Survivors Hike Out
External links
- Airport page at City of Durango website
- Durango–La Plata County Airport (DRO) at Colorado DOT airport directory
- Aerial image as of September 1993 from USGS The National Map
- FAA Terminal Procedures for DRO, effective October 11, 2018
- Resources for this airport:
- FAA airport information for DRO
- AirNav airport information for KDRO
- ASN accident history for DRO
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures