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 months from Denver on United Express; however, seasonal service flown with mainline jetliners is operated during the winter months from other cities such as Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.
In the months after the September 11 attacks, Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport was one of several airports to have a temporary presence of the National Guard.
Seasonal mainline jetliner service had arrived at the airport by early 1985 with Air Atlanta operating Boeing 727-100 service nonstop from Atlanta (ATL) on Saturdays while at this same time Frontier was operating Boeing 737-200 service nonstop from both Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) on Saturdays and Sundays with Trans-Colorado Airlines operating Metroliner commuter propjets nonstop from Denver, Durango and Montrose.[11]American Airlines also began seasonal jetliner service in December 1985 from Dallas, Chicago and Houston,[12] and grabbed a decided edge on its domestic competitors by signing a 10-year contract to provide expanded service between Chicago and Gunnison.[13] Five airlines were serving Gunnison by late 1989 including American Airlines with daily Boeing 727-200 service nonstop from both Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD), Continental Airlines with nonstop Boeing 727-200 service from Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on Saturdays, Continental Express operated by Rocky Mountain Airways on a code sharing basis on behalf of Continental with Beechcraft 1900C commuter propjets nonstop from Denver, Delta Air Lines with nonstop Boeing 727-200 service from Salt Lake City (SLC) on Saturdays, and United Express operated by Aspen Airways on a code sharing basis on behalf of United Airlines with nonstop Convair 580 turboprop service from Denver and Montrose.[14] By the fall of 1991, Continental Express was flying de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 turboprops nonstop from Denver and Montrose in addition to its Beechcraft 1900C service.[15] According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), four airlines were serving the airport in early 1995 including American with daily nonstop Boeing 757-200 service from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) with this flight also providing daily direct one stop service from Philadelphia (PHL), Continental Express operating on a code sharing basis on behalf of Continental with Beechcraft 1900C commuter propjets nonstop from Denver, Delta with nonstop Boeing 757-200 service from Atlanta (ATL) operated several days a week, and United Express operated by Mesa Airlines on a code sharing basis on behalf of United with nonstop Beechcraft 1900C service from Denver.[16]
Facilities and aircraft
On short final landing on runway 24 at Gunnison airport
Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport covers 1,600 acres (650 ha) and has two runways. The main runway, 6/24, has an asphalt pavement 9,400 by 150 ft (2,865 by 46 m) and is lighted during operational hours (0600-2230 MST). A second unpaved runway, 17/35, south of the main, is available to small aircraft in the summer; it has a turf and gravel surface 2,981 by 150 ft (909 by 46 m) and is unlighted and therefore open for daylight use only.[1]
In the year ending June 30, 2018, the airport had 8,717 aircraft operations, average 24 per day: 80% general aviation, 9% air taxi, 6% scheduled commercial, and 5% military. 30 aircraft were then based at this airport: 23 single-engine 6 multi-engine, and 1 jet.[1]
