Since the Eagle Airport is less than an hour away from the Vail Valley area, it’s no wonder the airport is quickly gaining popular when visiting the nearby mountain towns. The Eagle Airport has five gates and four airlines now providing nonstop daily flights in and out of the Colorado Rockies. With a travel time of under an hour to Vail Resort and Beaver Creek Resort, this is a great alternate destination from Denver International Airport for those traveling to Colorado’s mountains.
History of the Eagle Airport
Perfectly located between Eagle and Gypsum, the Eagle Airport started up in 1930 and originally had only one runway used as an emergency landing strip for planes traveling between Denver and Los Angeles. In late 1947, they dedicated the strip as an airport. Jump just over 40 years later and there were 277 commercial passengers in the late 80’s. Today, that number has risen to 320,111 commercial passengers.
In November 2003, a new air traffic control tower opened giving increased visibility to the airport. The runway was extended just a few years later, increasing it’s length to 9,000 feet allowing heavier planes and the aircrafts to travel farther. In recent years, the Eagle County Regional Airport has been the 2nd busiest in Colorado.
Airlines Servicing the Eagle Airport
Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines all service the Eagle Airport. In the winter there is non-stop service to Eagle Airport from Phoenix, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Chicago, NY/Kennedy, and Newark. During the peak times in summer and winter, there is non-stop service from Houston. With the exceptions of Air Canada (which only provides flights on Saturdays), Washington D.C. (which just provides flights on Saturdays as well) and San Francisco (with flights just during the weekends), all other locations have flights daily to Eagle Airport.
Eagle Airport vs. Denver Airport
Some pros of flying into Eagle Airport is that it is very close to Vail and Beaver Creek. You won’t have to deal with Denver traffic after you land and climbing your way up into the mountains… you’ll already be here! Eagle’s smaller airport is much easier to navigate than the massive Denver Airport, but it’s size also creates some cons. When flying into the Denver International Airport, there are plenty more flight and travel time options, as well as international flights. The Denver Airport will also close down much less often than the Eagle Airport due to inclement weather, so you won’t have to worry about getting stranded if you choose Denver.
Transportation Options at the Eagle Airport
Whether you’re hoping to rent a car or just grab a shuttle into town, there are plenty of transportation options to and from the Eagle Airport. For those of you that are staying right in the resorts, a shuttle or private car would be great for you as everything you need is within walking distance of lodging in ski villages. This also eliminates the issue of parking in town as well as dealing with the classic curvy mountain roads if you aren’t comfortable. If you’re planning to make your way all over the Colorado Rockies during your stay, a rental car may be your best bet.
Peak 1 Express offers shared shuttles to discount locations as well as private SUV and charter services for those looking for transportation to and from the Eagle Airport. Though there are a few cons to traveling to this airport in the mountains, flying into the Eagle Airport has plenty of benefits! Give our trip specialists a call today if you have any questions on the airport or your Colorado vacation.