b'PHOTO: PATRICK EDMONSON OF PHOCO PHOTOGRAPHY54 FNLTERMINALSNorthern Colorado Regional Setsthe Stage for Scheduled Air Service With New Terminal BY KRISTEN RINDFLEISCHNorthern Colorado Regionalgovernance by an airport commission to anMeanwhile, expansion and high Airport (FNL) has long plannedairport authority is also in process. In thedemand for air travel in the region further to build a larger, more modernmeantime, the new terminal improves theunderscored the need for a modernized terminal to supplement its currentpassenger experience for current guests. terminal. Population growth in the area private and charter traffic with scheduledBuilt in 1989, FNLs previoushas long exceeded the national average commercial air service. Originally scheduled4,500-square-foot terminal no longer metand is projected to continue doing so for to begin in the next few years, the projectthe needs of larger planes currently servingdecades to come. The airports catchment was fast-tracked to meet the July 2024the areas rapidly growing population. Itarea, a 40-mile radius around Loveland, funding deadline associated with $16.8was designed for small, 19-seat planesCO, includes about 900,000 residentsa million in federal CARES Act fundingflying to/from Denver Stapleton Airport,population comparable to regions with awarded to FNL in the aftermath of thewhich closed in 1995. Baggage claim wasrobust commercial air service. As a COVID-19 pandemic.outdoors under a canopy, and a minimalresult, thousands of Northern Colorado Completed last fall, the 19,400-square- array of passenger amenities did not alignresidents travel daily to depart from Denver foot terminal is located about 75 yardswith the customer service the airportInternational Airport (DEN). directly north of the previous terminal,wanted to provide. As the airline industryCurrently, FNL supports two major with direct access to the flightline andshifted toward larger, more efficient aircraftground transportation services to DEN: main ramp. It can accommodate largercarrying up to 200 passengers, the originalGroome Transportation, with 21 round-trip aircraft and was designed to position FNLterminals shortcomings became moreshuttle bus trips to DEN daily; and Landline as a regional transportation hub ready forpronounced. In 2003 and again in 2012,service, which allows passengers to book future growth. Plans to widen the currentFNL added modular buildings to handleconnections on luxury motorcoaches as runway, and possibly add another, are nextthe increased passenger load, but thosepart of their United Airlines tickets, with on the docket to help attract and sustainstructures were never intended for long- 11 round trips daily. On any given day, an scheduled air service. A transition fromterm use.average 630 vehicles are parked at FNL July | August 2025AirportImprovement.com'