Durango, CO: In 2017, the Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) had more on-time flights
than the national average of U.S. airports by its widest margin in 10 years, according to data
compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).*
DRO performed nearly 8 percent better than the national average among all U.S. airports for
on-time departures in 2017 at 88.39 percent. The national average was 80.70 percent.
According to the DOT, a flight is considered delayed if it departed or arrived at the gate at least
15 minutes after the scheduled time.
The DOT national average for canceled departures in 2017 was 1.46 percent. Fewer than 1
percent of DRO’s departures were canceled, beating the national average by nearly one-third.
“The majority of commercial flight delays seen at DRO occur when issues at hub airports such
as Denver or Dallas cascade throughout an airline’s route network” DRO Director of Aviation,
Tony Vicari said. “There is a perception that regional airports don’t perform well when it comes
to delays or cancellations, but the numbers tell a different story. DRO had more on-time flights
and fewer cancellations in 2017 than Denver (DEN), Albuquerque (ABQ) and the national
average.”
In order to support flight reliability and timeliness, DRO employs 28 full and part-time staff
responsible for efficient and safe operations. Of these, the airport has 10 individuals within its
Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF)/Operations division, which is responsible for incident
management, medical emergency response, public safety, airport security and airfield
operations. This division is also charged with maintaining all safety, operational and securitybased
rules and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation
Security Administration (TSA).
The airport also employs four individuals - along with five seasonal positions - within its Airfield
& Grounds Maintenance division. The maintenance division is responsible for the upkeep and
repair of all airport facilities, airfield pavement, lighting, signage, markings as well as nearly
1,400 acres of grounds.
DRO receives approximately 50 inches of snow annually, making it a priority for staff to be
prepared for the challenge of winter weather. The airport owns and maintains a fleet of
equipment dedicated to winter snow removal. These include:
• Two carrier vehicles with front-mounted rotary brooms used to sweep snow from the
pavement
• Three large displacement plow vehicles used to move heavy snow loads
• Two large rotary snowblowers used to move snow far beyond the reaches of aircraft
engines and wings
• Two loader vehicles used to clear confined areas of snow
• Numerous smaller vehicles and pieces of specialty equipment
“The dedication of these staff and use of specialized equipment for winter weather ensure we
can reliably serve southwest Colorado’s air travel needs,” said Vicari. “And for those travelers
who choose to brave the elements and drive to Denver or Albuquerque, the statistics show that
they have a greater risk of delay – even if slightly – than they do here at DRO.”
* Source: Bureau of Transportation (BTS) statistics
About Durango-La Plata County Airport
Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) is the primary regional airport for southwest Colorado
and the Four Corners Region. As Colorado’s 5th busiest commercial airport, DRO saw over
372,000 passengers in 2017 and contributes $280 million annually to the regional economy.
DRO is served by two of the four largest U.S. airlines (United and American), offering nonstop
routes to Denver (DEN), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Phoenix (PHX) and seasonally to Los Angeles
(LAX). For more information, please visit www.flydurango.com. Follow us on
twitter.com/DROAirport and facebook.com/DROAirport.
The Durango-La Plata County Airport operates as an enterprise fund of the City of Durango, and
generates self-sustaining revenue from airport tenants and users in the form of airline rent and
landing fees, terminal concessions, ground leases and parking fees. The airport does not
receive any local tax funding.
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