Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport is a county-owned, public airport one mile southwest of Gunnison, in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States. Also known as Gunnison County Airport, it serves the valley and nearby Crested Butte, Colorado with airline and general aviation flights. This airport is in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which called it a primary commercial service airport. Federal Aviation Administration records say it had 36,035 passenger boardings in calendar year 2008, 42,130 in 2009 and 37,316 in 2010. Passengers at Gunnison are mainly vacationers coming to the area for year-round outdoor activities, such as skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, mountain biking, fishing, rafting, hiking and camping. The terminal is one large building with two jetbridge gates, two ground-level gates, and a variety of rental car or shuttle bus companies. One baggage claim area in the lower lobby level houses a single carousel and a dedicated ski/oversize baggage slide. The airport sees limited regional jet service during the summer from Denver and Houston on United Express, however frequent larger aircraft service during winter months occurs from additional cities. It is at at an elevation of 7678 feet or 2340 meters above mean sea level. U.S. 50 runs along the northwest side of the airport. Its close location is due in part to redevelopment of land formerly occupied by the Denver & Rio Grandenarrow gauge railroad and rail yards, abandoned in 1953. Currecanti Recreation Area and Blue Mesa Reservoir is located nine miles West of Gunnison. Also nearby is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Taylor Reservoir, and Roaring Judy fish hatchery. Numerous ghost towns and scenic drives are located throughout the region as well. In the months after the September 11 attacks, Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport was one of several airports to have a temporary presence of National Guard.
Facilities and aircraft
Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport covers and has two runways. The main runway, 6/24, has an asphalt pavement and is lighted during operational hours. A second unpaved runway, 17/35, south of the main, is available to small aircraftin the summer; it has a turf and gravel surface and is open for daylight use only as it is unlighted. In the year ending January 1, 2012 the airport had 7,632 aircraft operations, average 20 per day: 88% general aviation, 11% scheduled commercial, and 1% military. 25 aircraft were then based at this airport: 84% single-engine and 16% multi-engine.
