There are untold numbers of benefits of living in a smaller community. Each of us can think of them in just a few moments. But one that will regularly be left off the list is getting from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B’ when it involves air travel. Luckily, the federal government has a program by which smaller communities are not left in the lurch and places like Pueblo—a community of nearly 170,000—is benefitting from it.
Beginning January 15th, 2023, Southern Airways Express will begin service to the region replacing SkyWest Airlines, a carrier that had served Pueblo and much of southern Colorado for the last several years. The departure of SkyWest and inauguration of service by Southern Airways Express will not involve any disruption for travelers.
SkyWest made the decision to leave the Pueblo market because of a challenge facing a number other smaller carriers. It was having difficulty finding enough pilots not only to serve Pueblo but as many as 28 other similarly challenged communities.
Air travelers in communities like Pueblo and scores of others across the country are sometimes hours away from the nearest large airport. But under the government’s Essential Air Service program, established in 1979 when the airline industry was deregulated, the government has subsidized air carriers paying them to serve out of the way cities and towns. Per passenger costs for the government can exceed several hundred dollars per passenger.
The contract paving the way for Pueblo’s continued air service means the federal government will pay an estimated $2.9 million dollars in 2023 and $3 million the following year. The agreement is set to expire at the end of January, 2025.
Pueblo’s annual passenger load, said Greg Pedroza, Pueblo’s Director of Aviation, is down from an all-time high of ten thousand to just slightly less than 8,000 per year. “We have fallen short of that number during the pandemic,” he said, adding that SkyWest’s decision to leave the southern Colorado market may have contributed to the decline.
Still, Pedroza, who began working at Pueblo Memorial Airport a decade ago as part of the facilities maintenance crew and rising to his current position in 2019, says flying out of Pueblo is a convenience for southern Colorado travelers. “It’s hometown convenience,” adding there’s also free parking, minimal TSA lines, short waits to get on board and no two-hour drives to Denver.
Of course, flying out of Pueblo or similar-sized airports does incur a cost. What a traveler might save by avoiding drive-time and parking at DIA is offset by the extra cost of a ticket. Pedroza said for a family of four that could mean an extra $200 per family member on a round-trip ticket.
When Pueblo went shopping for a replacement carrier, said Pedroza, the city was looking for jet service. It didn’t get it. “We wanted jet service,” just like SkyWest provided. Instead, passengers flying out of Pueblo to Denver will board a Twin Air Turbo prop that carries up to nine passengers. “A lot of regional routes are going to a more economical but suitable aircraft.” The decision is often based on fuel costs to service these communities.
BecausePuebloranksinthetop100ofgeneralaviation airports—there are more than 3,000 across the country—the city is considering upgrades to its facility. Pedroza said private pilots stopping in Pueblo for fuel, food and rest have complained that the city is falling short. The city has listened. “We are looking at upgrades for holding room and adding restrooms,” he said. “We’re definitely in need of modernization.” The city, he said, has hired an architectural firm to begin the process.
