Grand Junction Regional Airport

Grand Junction Regional Airport (IATA: GJT[3], ICAO: KGJT, FAA LID: GJT) is three miles (4.8 km) northeast of Grand Junction, in Mesa County, Colorado.[2] Owned by the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority,[2] it is the largest airport in western Colorado and third largest in the state, behind Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport.

Grand Junction Regional Airport

Walker Field
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGrand Junction Regional Airport Authority
ServesGrand Junction MSA
LocationNorthern Grand Junction, Colorado
Elevation AMSL4,858 ft / 1,481 m
Coordinates39°07′21″N 108°31′36″W
Websitewww.gjairport.com
Map
GJT
GJT
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 10,501 3,201 Asphalt
4/22 5,502 1,677 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2016)45,001
Based aircraft (2017)113
Total Passengers Served (12 months ending July 2017)452,000
Sources: airport website[1] and FAA[2]

Federal Aviation Administration records show 212,588 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[4] 228,850 in 2009 and 219,358 in 2010.[5] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).[6]

History

The airport opened in 1930 as Grand Junction Municipal Airport. In 1942 it was renamed Walker Field for Walter Walker, a former publisher of The Daily Sentinel newspaper who helped obtain funds and business support for the airport. The airport and the airport authority were renamed on May 15, 2007. Grand Junction Regional Airport is undergoing a $20 million renovation, of which $700,000 will pay for signs with the new name. The airport's terminal and fire building will continue to be named for Walker and a new $19 million roadway under construction will be called Walter Walker Blvd. Tailwind Concessions provides food and beverages inside the terminal. A new runway will be built north of the existing one, with a target year of 2019. The present 10,501-foot (3,201 m) runway will become a taxiway.

Terminal

Inside the terminal, the passenger waiting area has a gift shop and TV monitors. The terminal has three gates with jet bridges for regional jets; one other gate uses outdoor airstairs. Allegiant and American Eagle flights use gate 3 while Delta uses gate 4. United uses gate 6.[7][8]

Facilities

The airport covers 2,357 acres (954 ha) at an elevation of 4,858 feet (1,481 m). It has two asphalt runways: 11/29 is 10,501 by 150 feet (3,201 x 46 m) and 4/22 is 5,502 by 75 feet (1,677 x 23 m).[2]

In 2016 the airport had 45,001 aircraft operations, average 123 per day: 60% general aviation, 27% air taxi, 7% military and 6% airline. In July 2017, 102 aircraft were based at this airport: 93 single-engine, 11 multi-engine, 6 jet, and 3 helicopter.[2]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Las Vegas, Phoenix/Mesa
Seasonal: Los Angeles
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Delta Connection Salt Lake City
Denver Air Connection Denver–Centennial
United Express Denver
Seasonal: Chicago-O'Hare[9]

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
FedEx Express Colorado Springs, Fresno, Memphis



Top domestic destinations
Top domestic destinations from GJT
(April 2018 – March 2019)[10]
Rank Airport Passengers Airline(s)
1 Denver, Colorado 68,770 United
2 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 60,700 American
3 Salt Lake City, Utah 41,700 Delta
4 Phoenix, Arizona 39,450 American
5 Las Vegas, Nevada 13,540 Allegiant
6 Los Angeles, California 3,030 Allegiant

The first airliners at Grand Junction were Monarch Douglas DC-3s in 1946-47; successor Frontier Airlines (1950-1986) served Grand Junction until the 1980s. United Airlines Douglas DC-4s started flying LAX-LAS-GJT-DEN in 1947 and United continued that route until 1977. Nonstops from Grand Junction never reached beyond Denver, Salt Lake and Las Vegas until United started Saturday-only nonstops in the winter ski season to Los Angeles in 1969-70 and to Chicago in 1970-71 (GJT's runway was extended from 5400 to 7500 feet around 1965). Until the 1980s GJT was the only Colorado airport west of Denver to see airline jets. In 1974-75 United Douglas DC-8s flew nonstop to Los Angeles and Chicago while Boeing 727-100s flew to San Francisco; in 1976-77 United tried nonstop 727s to Detroit and Milwaukee and in 1978-79 to Omaha and Kansas City. United also operated the Boeing 727-200 from the airport. In winter 1980-81 Grand Junction finally got a weekday United Boeing 737-200 nonstop to LAX, but United ended mainline service to GJT a few months later.

The first jets at Grand Junction were Frontier Boeing 727-100s flying DEN-GJT-SLC and back starting Oct-Nov 1966. Some Frontier 727 flights flew direct to Kansas City and St. Louis. Boeing 737-200s later replaced Frontier's 727s, and their Convair 580s remained into the 1980s. In 1975-76 Frontier started weekend-only 737s to DFW during ski season.

Other jet airlines at Grand Junction included Continental Airlines to Denver in the 1980s and early 1990s, flying Boeing 727-100s, 727-200s, 737-200s, Douglas DC-9-10s and DC-9-30s when Continental had a hub at Denver. Western Airlines Boeing 737-200s flew nonstop to SFO in winter 1975-76, and America West Airlines Boeing 737-200s flew nonstop to Phoenix in the 1980s. In the mid 1990s, Air 21 Fokker F28 Fellowships flew nonstop to Colorado Springs and Las Vegas and direct to Los Angeles.

The only mainline jets at Grand Junction now are Allegiant Air Airbus A319/320s twice a week nonstop to Las Vegas and Phoenix-Mesa - year round, and seasonal flights to Los Angeles; other airlines use regional jets.

References
  1. Grand Junction Regional Airport, official website
  2. FAA Airport Master Record for GJT (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. effective October 12, 2017.
  3. "IATA Airport Code Search (GJT: Grand Junction / Walker Field)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  4. "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009. External link in |work= (help)
  5. "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011. External link in |work= (help)
  6. "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on October 27, 2012. External link in |work= (help)
  7. "Walker Field becomes Grand Junction Regional Airport". Associated Press. May 16, 2007.
  8. "Mayors want Walker Field to keep its name". Grand Junction Free Press. May 15, 2007.
  9. https://kdvr.com/2018/12/20/united-announces-grand-junction-chicago-direct-flight/
  10. "RITA BTS Transtats - GJT". transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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