Rent rates increase, landing fees decrease at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport

The Aspen-Pitkin County Airport presented its 2025 rates and charges on Monday, with increases in rent rates and decreases in landing fees.

Pitkin County sets rates and charges through a “compensatory” methodology that focuses on the airfield and the terminal, meaning airport users pay for what they use — like occupying space and landing on the runway.

The signatory landing fee will decrease 10%, from $7.75 in 2024 to $6.98 in 2025.

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Seasonal landing fees will decrease from $10.85 to $9.77.

The general aviation landing fee will decrease from $9.18 to $8.41.

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Locally based general aviation will not see a change.

Fuel flowage fee per gallon will remain the same at $0.14.

Airline terminal shared space rent per square foot for all airlines will increase from $115.60 to $129.36.

For terminal exclusive and preferential rent space per foot will increase for all, including signatory, seasonal, outside covered, and outside seasonal.

Passenger enplanements, landing weight

Some assumptions that inform the proposed changes include increased passenger enplanements and increased airline landing weight due to United Airlines’ gradual switch to Embraer 175s in 2025.

Total enplaned passengers for the airport during fiscal year 2025 were forecast to be 50 passengers per flight, consistent with historical load factors.

In 2024, there were 335,115 total enplaned passengers. In 2025, there is an expected 9% increase, with 364,579 passengers.

“Landings and passengers are very important to setting budget rates and charges at airports,” said Bryan Elliott, vice president of Ricondo & Associates, Inc., the financial consultant used by the airport. “And so what typically happens is there is a 12-month kind of projection or forecast.”

The total landed weight for fiscal year 2025 is 67,000 pounds for CRJ700s and 75,000 pounds for E175s.

Similar to the enplaned passengers, the total landing weight will also increase by 9%, moving from 895,911 pounds in 2024 to 972,701 pounds in 2025.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines will continue to only have CRJ700s. United will gradually incorporate E175s into their fleet. From January to August 2025, 72% of planes will be E175s, per published schedules. From September to December, 100% of planes are assumed to be E175s.

State, federal funding

All COVID relief funding has been requested by the county as of the end of fiscal year 2024.

“One big change that the airport and the county is experiencing in 2025 is that obviously during COVID there was federal relief funding for airports, and it was applied for and received between 2021 and 2024,” Elliot said. “All of that’s been received.”

In 2025, the airport will also not receive funding from the Federal Aviation Administration.

At the beginning of September, the airport did not receive Federal Aviation Administration funding meant to support infrastructural needs because its Airport Layout Plan has not been approved by the administration yet.

The airport will also not receive funding “until we make progress on shifting the runway or at least removing the less than standard distance between our taxiway and runway centerlines,” said Aspen-Pitkin County Airport Director Dan Bartholomew, according to previous reporting by The Aspen Times.

Because of this, the airport will see an 81% decrease in net operating revenue after grants. This is a decrease of $9.7 million.

“We lost $10 million, and that will be ongoing,” said Aspen-Pitkin County Airport Deputy Director Diane Jackson. “It’s maintaining, not modernizing.”

Other expenses

Operating expenses include approximately $8.8 million for runway pavement maintenance, which will be paid for with airport funds. The runway will undergo its annual spring closure from May 5, 2025, to June 1, 2025 for pavement maintenance.

Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting expenses are split 60% to the airlines and 40% to general aviation. General aviation revenue is budgeted to total approximately $22.3 million for fiscal year 2025, primarily due to the new fixed-base operator lease with Atlantic Aviation, which has yet to be presented to the public and the Board of County Commissioners.

“Sources of revenue, patio shelters, etc., that may be coming in, but it is primarily driven by the change in the lease agreement with Atlantic Aviation,” Elliot said. “So you can see that in 2024 the general aviation revenue was approximately $17.7 million, and in 2025 it’s estimated to be $22.3 million.”

Other revenues in 2025 include $37 million, a 24% increase from 2024. Airline revenues for 2025 is $6.8 million, which is up 7%. Net revenue funding priorities for the airport include, fund 100% costs of airfield maintenance, including runway, taxiway, and aprons, build restricted cash balance in airport fund for airport modernization, and provide discretionary credit for airfield requirement to credit landing fees if available.

Looking ahead

Pitkin County commissioners will hear the same presentation during a work session Tuesday. A first reading for rates and charges is set for Nov. 6, and a second reading is scheduled for Nov. 20.

Commissioners set rates and charges in December of each year based on its adopted budget.

Rates and charges are effective Jan. 1 of the following year after adoption of a resolution set by the commissioners.

Regan Mertz can be reached at 970-429-9153 or rmertz@aspentimes.com.