Eagle County Regional Airport

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"EGE" redirects here. For the French academic institution, see Economic Warfare School. For other uses, see Ege.
Eagle County Regional Airport
Eagle County Regional Airport Logo.png
Eagle County Airport terminal.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerEagle County
ServesVail and Eagle County, Colorado
LocationGypsum, Colorado
Elevation AMSL6,547 ft / 1,996 m
Coordinates39°38′33″N 106°55′04″W / 39.64250°N 106.91778°W / 39.64250; -106.91778Coordinates: 39°38′33″N 106°55′04″W / 39.64250°N 106.91778°W / 39.64250; -106.91778
Websitewww.flyvail.com
Maps
FAA diagram
FAA diagram
EGE is located in Colorado
EGE
EGE
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
7/25 9,000 2,743 Asphalt
Statistics
Total passengers served (12 months ending July 2018)341,000
Aircraft operations (2017)41,900
Based aircraft (2018)89

Eagle County Regional Airport (IATA: EGE, ICAO: KEGE, FAA LID: EGE) (Vail/Eagle Airport or the Eagle Vail Airport) is in Gypsum, Colorado, United States, 4 miles from Eagle and 37 miles from Vail. It covers 632 acres (256 ha) and has one runway.[1] The History Channel rated Eagle County Regional Airport as #8 on its list of Most Extreme Airports in July 2010 due to the elevation, weather, approach through mountainous terrain and challenging departure procedures. In 2008–09 the airport completed a runway repaving and extension project, increasing the runway length to 9,000 feet.

Scheduled passenger airline service into the airport is largely seasonal, with more scheduled flights in winter. During ski season EGE is the second busiest airport in Colorado after Denver International Airport due to its proximity to Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts. Some passengers prefer to fly into EGE rather than Aspen since Eagle has lower minimums allowing a better potential to land in bad weather. Despite being advertised as Vail Airport by airlines and other entities, it is a 45-minute drive to Vail via Interstate 70. Flights during summer have become popular with tourists, with United Airlines and American Airlines offering service nearly year-round.

The airport is popular with private aircraft operators and has one of the top rated fixed-base operators in the country, the Vail Valley Jet Center.[3] Private jet charter operators include Clay Lacy Aviation,[4] Charter Flight Group,[5] Jet Partners,[6] and Stratos Jet Charters.[7]

Terminal and facilities[]

EGE's terminal has one concourse with five gates, built in 1996 and remodeled in 2001, 2007, and 2019. There are four TSA screening lanes, a pre-security concession/gift shop, and three luggage carousels, in addition to a special ski/snowboard slide. In 2012, a new inline baggage handling system was constructed in time for the 2012/13 ski season. Beyond the security checkpoint are a restaurant, coffee shop, gift shop, and bar. The airport also offers free wifi in the terminal. The airport has customs facilities for private aircraft located at the Vail Valley Jet Center.

New terminal

The facility is in the midst of a terminal expansion project. On July 1, 2019 the first phase of this project opened, with access to the new terminal with four gates with jet bridges, enhanced concessions, and other new aviation technology.[8][9] The final two ground-loading gates were expected to open in time for the 2019/2020 winter season. As of December 2019, the new TSA checkpoint is open, serving both TSA PreCheck and normal security lines.

Operations[]

The Eagle County Sheriff provides airport security response. The airport has its own ARFF department with three fire trucks, including two state-of-the-art Oshkosh Striker trucks. The airport has a full complement of snowplows, snow blowers, and powered brooms for snow removal operations, along with a complete runway friction measuring system. The tower is staffed by SERCO contract air traffic controllers. The airport is building a dedicated de-icing pad so planes do not have to be de-iced on the commercial ramp blocking gates.[10]

Aircraft procedures[]

There is no standard published ILS approach at the airport, but there is a special ILS approach, mostly used by the airlines, which requires permission and training from the FSDO. General aviation aircraft usually use the LDA approach, DME, or under VFR. The airport also has an on-site Beacon Interrogator (BI-6) Radar facility. IFR clearances are given by the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).

Airport operations[]

United flies year-round to Denver on United Express (Skywest Airlines), and nonstop to Chicago–O'Hare in the summer and winter months. American offers near year-round service to Dallas/Fort Worth, operating as American Airlines or American Eagle in every season except fall. In winter American, Delta, and United Airlines offer service to 11 more cities across the United States including daily flights to Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York–JFK, Newark, Houston–Intercontinental, and San Francisco, select Saturday flights to New York–LaGuardia and Philadelphia, and select holiday flights to Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Of the regional ski resort airports—excluding Denver and Salt Lake City—Eagle County Regional Airport has the second most regular flights during the winter, behind Aspen, CO, and ahead of Jackson Hole, WY.

Winter airline flights are on a variety of aircraft including the Boeing 757, Airbus A319, Boeing 737, and the Embraer E175 or Bombardier CRJ-700 for shorter flights.

Airlines and destinations[]

AirlinesDestinations
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Los Angeles, Miami, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia
American Eagle Seasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Delta Air Lines Seasonal: Atlanta
Delta Connection Seasonal: Salt Lake City
United Airlines Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark
United Express Denver
Seasonal: Los Angeles, San Francisco

Past air service[]

During the mid- and late 1970s only one airline scheduled passenger service into the airport: Rocky Mountain Airways, which flew STOL capable de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters followed by larger, 50-seat STOL de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7s nonstop from Denver Stapleton Airport and Aspen.[11] In the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, Rocky Mountain Airways nonstops to Denver were all flown with the larger Dash 7.[12] The April 1, 1987 Official Airline Guide (OAG) listed three airlines serving the airport: Rocky Mountain Airways operating as Continental Express for Continental Airlines via a code sharing agreement with Dash 7 flights from Denver, Royal West Airlines operating nonstop British Aerospace BAe 146-200 jets from Los Angeles (LAX) on Saturdays, and commuter Monarch Airlines operating Twin Otters from Aspen, Crested Butte, Grand Junction and Telluride.[13] In August 1985 runway 8 at the airport was 5000 ft in length by 60 ft in width with its west end located at

 WikiMiniAtlas
39°38′43″N 106°55′17″W / 39.6452°N 106.92145°W / 39.6452; -106.92145; by December 1987 runway 7 had been added on its present alignment, 7000 ft by 100 ft, with its LDA approach which then permitted operations with larger aircraft.

The airport was being served by mainline jets by early 1994: American Airlines Boeing 757-200s nonstop from Chicago O'Hare Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, and New York La Guardia Airport, Delta Air Lines Boeing 727-200s from Salt Lake City, Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200s from Minneapolis/St. Paul, and United Airlines Boeing 737-300s from Denver.[14] The OAG lists 36 jet flights a week operated by these four airlines into the airport early in 1994. Air Canada began flying an Airbus A319 nonstop from Toronto Pearson in 2013 by pre-clearing passengers in Toronto since the airport does not have custom facilities.[15] Air Canada dropped the route after the 2017/2018 winter ski season due to relocating its A319s to other U.S. destinations.[16]

Statistics[]

Top destinations[]

Top domestic destinations from EGE
(April 2020 – March 2021)[17]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 44,000 American
2 Denver, Colorado 22,000 United
3 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 13,000 American, United
4 Atlanta, Georgia 11,000 Delta
5 Miami, Florida 10,000 American
8 Houston–Intercontinental, Texas 7,000 United
6 Newark, New Jersey 7,000 United
7 New York–JFK, New York 6,000 American
9 Los Angeles, California 3,000 American, United
10 Phoenix -Sky Harbor, Arizona 2,000 United
Airlines By Market Share (April 2020 – March 2021)
Rank Airline Passengers Market Share
1 American 130,000 49.04%
2 SkyWest 70,780 26.77%
3 United 42,240 15.98%
4 Delta 21,710 8.21%

Annual traffic[]

See source Wikidata query and sources.

Traffic by calendar year[18][19]
Year Passenger boardings Change over previous year Year Passenger boardings Change over previous year Year Passenger boardings Change over previous year
2000 184,562 N/A 2010 201,010 Increase010.65%0 2020 143,000 Decrease025.00%0
2001 165,639 Decrease010.25%0 2011 189,276 Decrease05.84%0
2002 169,762 Increase02.49%0 2012 167,914 Decrease011.29%0
2003 168,347 Decrease00.83%0 2013 167,166 Decrease00.45%0
2004 194,173 Increase015.34%0 2014 165,004 Decrease01.29%0
2005 213,233 Increase09.82%0 2015 156,937 Decrease04.89%0
2006 217,039 Increase01.78%0 2016 163,840 Increase04.4%0
2007 231,719 Increase06.8%0 2017 154,577 Decrease05.65%0
2008 212,832 Decrease08.15%0 2018 173,863 Increase012.48%
2009 181,666 Decrease014.64%0 2019 194,905 Increase010.80%

Accidents at or near EGE[]

On March 27, 1987, a Learjet 24 operated by Connie Kalitta Services impacted terrain 4.7 miles NW of EGE due to descending below the specified approach altitude. All 3 occupants (2 pilots, 1 passenger) were killed.[20]

In popular culture[]

Eagle Vail Airport was featured on the History Channel's special: "Most Extreme Airports[21]" as the world's 8th most extreme airport.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b FAA Airport Form 5010 for EGE PDF, effective November 8, 2018.
  2. ^ [1], official site
  3. ^ http://vvjc.com/pilots/general-aviation
  4. ^ https://www.claylacy.com/contact-us/locations/eagle-county-regional-airport-kege
  5. ^ https://charterflightgroup.com/destination_city/aircraft-charter-to-vail-colorado/
  6. ^ https://jetpartners.aero/airport/eagle-ege/
  7. ^ https://www.stratosjets.com/jet-charter-flights/vail-colorado/
  8. ^ "Eagle County breaks ground on $33 million airport terminal expansion project".
  9. ^ https://www.vaildaily.com/news/new-eagle-county-regional-airport-travelers-drawing-wows-from-travelers/
  10. ^ "Press Release – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $8.2 Million in Infrastructure Grants to Four Airports in Colorado". www.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  11. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, April 15, 1975 & Nov. 15, 1979 Official Airline Guide
  12. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, Nov. 15, 1979 & April 1, 1981 & July 1, 1983 & Feb. 15, 1985 Official Airline Guide
  13. ^ April 1, 1987 Official Airline Guide
  14. ^ Feb. 1994 OAG Pocket Flight Guide
  15. ^ "Airport - Air Canada announces non-stop winter flight between Toronto and EGE - Eagle County". www.eaglecounty.us. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  16. ^ Miller, Scott. "Vail Valley winter air service includes more flights from several cities". Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  17. ^ "Eagle, CO: Eagle Airport (EGE)". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. July 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  18. ^ "Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports – Airports 2015". www.faa.gov. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  19. ^ "Passenger Boarding (Enplanement) and All-Cargo Data for U.S. Airports - Previous Years – Airports Previous Years". www.faa.gov. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  20. ^ Accident description for N31SK at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on November 4, 2020.
  21. ^ Academy, E.-Fly (2013-10-09), Most Extreme Airports by History Channel in E-Fly Academy, retrieved 2020-12-20

External links[]

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