PUEBLO, Colorado (KRDO) — Five airlines are bidding for next year’s Pueblo Memorial Airport contract.
A new company will take over after Southern Airways ends its current contract with the airport. On Tuesday, the airport held an open day so that all five airlines could showcase their offerings to local residents.
The city explained that the new bidding process was due to recurring problems with the current airline, Southern Air. According to the city, constant flight cancellations and mechanical problems have led to a decline in travel from the airport. According to Southern Air’s website, current flight routes from Pueblo are to Denver and Chadron, Nebraska.
Pueblo residents expressed hope that a new contract would lead to growth in the city.
“We just believe that a city cannot grow if it doesn’t have an airport that allows businesses to come here and travel elsewhere from Pueblo,” said Diane Johnson, a Pueblo resident.
The new airlines bidding for the contract are Advanced Air, Boutique Air, Breeze Airways, Denver Air Connections and SkyWest Airlines.
Advanced Air offers two different contract options: 24 flights per week to Albuquerque, or 17 per week to Albuquerque and 7 per week to Phoenix. They argue that you can drive to Denver in the same amount of time it takes to fly to the major airport. Each flight seats about 8 or 9 people, with a fixed ticket price of $80 one-way to Albuquerque and $150 one-way to Phoenix. They will also offer bulk ticket pricing, but have not worked out the final model yet. Advanced Air has a 98% completion rate, which is the rate at which they do not cancel flights for “controllable” reasons.
SkyWest Airlines would offer 12 flights per week to Denver at competitive prices with Colorado Springs. In partnership with United Airlines, they could accommodate 50 flights per flight, allowing travelers to book a flight from Pueblo through the airline, use miles for the flights, and receive rewards and compensation if a flight is canceled.
Boutique Air, on the other hand, is willing to invest in the community. They plan to invest $50,000 to $75,000 in marketing the airport. They will offer 24 to 28 flights per week to Denver, with two arrivals in the morning and two in the evening. Seats for one way to Denver cost about $54, but the price will increase when the planes are full, reaching $119. They offer a manageable load factor of over 99 percent.
Breeze Airways, on the other hand, offers flights to Las Vegas and Phoenix. They have two offers on the table with 12 flights per week, split between Phoenix and Las Vegas. The second option is 7 flights per week, 4 to Phoenix and 3 to Las Vegas. One-way tickets cost between $50 and $60. They offer a 99.2% completion rate.
Denver Air was not represented at the open house on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s meeting also included a public comment to the Department of Transportation, which has final authority over which airline will serve Pueblo.
