The Fly Guy

ASPEN — All three airlines that fly into Aspen are facing dire financial troubles, and it’s anyone’s guess if the local aviation market will crash and burn.

But even with Frontier Airlines’ recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Delta’s first-quarter loss of $247 million and United Airlines’ $537-million first-quarter loss, industry observers are optimistic that Aspen will remain a strong destination for the airline carriers.

And as long as fuel costs continue to rise and a national recession lingers, the aviation industry will remain in turbulence.

“It’s airline carnage. … All three of these airlines are in trouble, and we are in for a period of turmoil,” said Bill Tomcich, president and CEO of Stay Aspen Snowmass and the local liaison to the airline industry. “But Aspen is in one of the most enviable positions.”

The driving force is that there is more competition in the Aspen market than there has been for more than a decade. With Frontier’s inaugural flight scheduled for Saturday morning and then offering up to five daily flights to Denver, travelers have options that should keep fares competitive.

But airline tickets in and out of Aspen are still more expensive than most places in the country, which is a blessing in disguise, according to Mike Boyd, an aviation consultant in Evergreen, Colo.

United Airlines parent UAL Corp. said Tuesday that it’s cutting flights and 1,100 jobs to combat soaring fuel costs and recoup its losses. But it’s unlikely that flights will be cut in and out of Aspen.

Business here appears to be extremely lucrative for the short-haul carriers who likely will depend on this market as a steady revenue stream.

“It won’t be Aspen … your fares are too high,” Boyd said, adding that prices can’t get much higher here. “Markets like Aspen can only help the situation. You’re kind of bulletproof from this.

“Believe me, you’re in the minority.”

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