A travel alternative

Sherrie Peif, (Bio) speif@mywindsornow.com
November 28, 2007

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By Rebecca Boyle

rboyle@fortcollinsnow.com

Anyone traveling to Denver International Airport for what's likely to be the busiest travel season ever would probably love an alternative form of air transportation.

If developer Martin Lind's plans take off, the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport could one day be a different option for northern Colorado travelers. Lind said he is finalizing intergovernmental agreements with the airport managers and city leaders, and once the paperwork is done -- he hopes by the end of the week -- he can start work on the project, which will be called Airpark of the Rockies.

Allegiant Air provides service to and from Las Vegas five days a week with a 161-seat jetliner, and general aviation pilots use the airport frequently. But the airport doesn't have the infrastructure to bring in jobs and stronger business presence, Lind said.

"It's really the corporate world's front door to northern Colorado. That airport is exactly in the vortex of all the dynamic things happening in northern Colorado," he said.

Lind, who is known for his Water Valley development in Windsor and who is the force behind the Colorado Eagles hockey team, wants to be the one to fix it up.

"With all of the other infrastructure coming up in the area, it seems prudent that we pay attention to the airport," he said.

The agreement would allow private access to the airport, called "through-the-fence" use, which is prohibited under airport standards. The standards say that type of use could adversely affect the airport's ability to sustain itself financially and could reduce control over airport access.

Lind said his plans would focus on infrastructure and services not currently available at the airport, so it might even improve the facility's finances.

"Right now, the airport operates in a deficit, and we're hoping that that would reverse that trend," he said. "I think we would maybe see some more infrastructure investment out there."

He envisions taxiways onto the airport property; maintenance facilities, like the ones proposed in a recent discussion in Greeley about a maintenance hangar for Frontier; hangars; and a new fueling center.

"We are really more about the industry than the commuter," Lind said. "The goal would be to create extremely high-paying primary jobs that are aviation-related."

Still, those improvements might help the commuter if airlines are drawn to a spruced-up airport complex, he said.

Lind said he can envision a commuter airline that would ferry passengers to DIA, where they could connect with other flights, or even fly to destinations within 500 to 1,000 miles from Loveland, just like Allegiant does now.

Lind remembers when Continental Airlines had a service in the 1970s that flew passengers to Stapleton Airport in Denver, letting them bypass the parking nightmare and long security lines and connect to their outgoing flights.

"It was awesome," he said.

He's still waiting for approval of his plans from Fort Collins and Loveland, but he already has started talking to people in the aviation industry who might be interested in the region.

"We're probably a little bit premature and optimistic about it, but I think it's fine. I think we would see a really nice, steady buildout of that project over the next 20 years," he said.

By then, the region is expected to have three times as many residents -- so the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport could be the Centennial Airport of the region, and maybe a viable alternative to DIA.

Holiday travel season

If you're planning to fly anywhere this holiday season, make sure to pack a labeled bottle of pain reliever in your clear 1-quart plastic bag. You'll need it to stem the headaches sure to come with winter travel this year.

Thanksgiving week is usually the busiest travel time of the year. In 2007, more Americans than ever, about 38.7 million, traveled more than 50 miles from home, according to the travel organization AAA.

DIA is the fifth busiest airport in the country, with 47.3 million passengers traveling through it last year. Nearly 1 million traveled on Thanksgiving alone.

Besides being a bit of a headache this season, air travel could get more expensive, thanks to rising gas prices.

The Fort Collins-Loveland area's average cost for a gallon of unleaded fuel was $3.08 on Monday, according to AAA. Diesel cost $3.43 Monday, which was the highest recorded price, AAA said.

Airlines traditionally buy fuel on futures markets, so the increases in the past two weeks won't affect fares yet. But because U.S. passenger and cargo airlines use about 20 billion gallons of gas a year, every penny increase in the price of a gallon of jet fuel means an additional $190-$200 million in annual costs for the airlines, according to the Air Transport Association, an industry trade group.

The association estimated fuel constitutes about 20 percent to 30 percent of the industry's costs. Those costs have been passed on to consumers in the form of surcharges.

The transport association said consumers won't stomach big fare increases because of fuel costs, however, and may choose to drive or not travel at all.

Tips for travelers

On Nov. 19, the Transportation Security Administration launched a holiday travel awareness campaign called "SimpliFLY," geared toward reminding travelers how to avoid hassles at airport security.

Here are some of the agency's tips:

« 3-1-1 for carry-ons

Fluids allowed in 3-ounce bottle or less (by volume), all fitting in one quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; one bag per passenger placed in screening bin.

The one-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. If you have higher volumes to bring, put them in checked baggage.

« Take off your shoes, belt, cell phone and any other items that would set off the screening device.

« Do not wrap gifts. Security guards will have to unwrap them, so wrap at your destination.

« When in doubt, leave it out. Bringing prohibited items to the airport will delay the screening process. If you're not sure which items are allowed, check agency's Web site, www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/simplifly.shtm.

Energy prices affect travel and -- in Larimer County -- crime

Besides being a bit of a headache this season, air travel could get more expensive, thanks to rising gas prices.

The Fort Collins-Loveland area's average cost for a gallon of unleaded fuel was $3.08 on Monday, according to AAA. Diesel cost $3.43 Monday, which was the highest recorded price, AAA said.

Airlines traditionally buy fuel on futures markets, so the increases in the past two weeks won't affect fares yet. But because U.S. passenger and cargo airlines use about 20 billion gallons of gas a year, every penny increase in the price of a gallon of jet fuel means an additional $190-$200 million in annual costs for the airlines, according to the Air Transport Association, an industry trade group.

The association estimated fuel constitutes about 20 percent to 30 percent of the industry's costs. Those costs have been passed on to consumers in the form of surcharges.

The transport association said consumers won't stomach big fare increases because of fuel costs, however, and may choose to drive or not travel at all.

Higher fuel prices also are driving another industry change: Law enforcement.

Gas thefts are on the rise in Larimer County, Sheriff Jim Alderden said. He attributes it to the rising cost of gas.

Alderden said there has been a rash of such incidents involving vehicles left out overnight, primarily in industrial areas east of Fort Collins.

"In a lot of cases, they are drilling a hole in the gas tank," he said. "It doesn't seem like a real safe thing to me, to be putting a drill in the tank."

To prevent your vehicle's fuel from being siphoned away, Alderden recommended keeping vehicles indoors.

"If you leave your car parked in an open area, I think it's subject to having this kind of thing done to it," he said.

If it's not possible to put your vehicle in an enclosed area, park it in a well-lit spot that would be easier for law enforcement to see when on patrol, he said.