Yampa Valley Regional Airport is in

Routt County, Colorado Routt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,829. The county seat is Steamboat Springs. Routt County comprises the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

, United States, serving the communities of Steamboat Springs, Hayden, and Craig, Colorado. The airport is two miles southeast of

Hayden Hayden may refer to: Places Inhabited places in the United States *Hayden, Alabama *Hayden, Arizona *Hayden's Ferry, former name of Tempe, Arizona *Hayden, California, former name of Hayden Hill, California *Hayden, Colorado * Hayden, Idaho *Hayd ...

, about 20 miles east of Craig and about west of Steamboat Springs. It has the only scheduled passenger flights in northwest Colorado. It is also used by larger business jets that cannot use the smaller Steamboat Springs Airport (Bob Adams Field). The

National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. NPIAS was developed and now maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It identifies existing and proposed airports tha ...

for 2021–2025 called it a ''primary commercial service'' airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

records say it had 87,902 passenger boardings (enplanements) in

calendar year Generally speaking, a calendar year begins on the New Year's Day of the given calendar system and ends on the day before the following New Year's Day, and thus consists of a whole number of days. A year can also be measured by starting on any ...

2019, 106,007 in 2020 and 150,142 in 2021.

Facilities

Yampa Valley Airport Regional covers at an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...

of . Its asphalt runway, 10/28, is . In 2018 the airport completed an expansion of the apron that added a seventh aircraft parking position; in 2020 the terminal was being expanded to add a seventh gate and expanded ticketing area. The two projects cost about $10 million. The airport has nine commercial aircraft parking spots and seven gates that can handle

Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its maid ...

Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...

Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fam ...

/ A320neos, Bombardier CRJ200s, Bombardier CRJ700/CRJ900s,

Airbus A220 The Airbus A220 is a family of five-abreast narrow-body airliners by Airbus Canada Limited Partnership. It was originally designed by Bombardier and had two years in service as the Bombardier CSeries. The program was launched on 13 July ...

s, Embraer 135/145s, and Embraer 170/175/190/195 Like other Colorado airports serving ski resorts, there are no

jet bridges A jet bridge (also termed jetway, jetwalk, airgate, gangway, aerobridge/airbridge, skybridge, finger, airtube, expedited suspended passenger entry system (E-SPES), or its official industry name passenger boarding bridge (PBB)) is an enclosed, ...

, only open air airstairs. The private ramp can handle up to 40 private jets. In the winter months larger private jets such as the

cannot be parked due to lack of space and must depart after deplaning passengers.

Airport procedures

The airport has no

air traffic control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...

. All aircraft are on a CTAF (123.0) and/or

Unicom A UNICOM (universal communications) station is an air-ground communication facility operated by a non-air traffic control private agency to provide advisory service at uncontrolled aerodromes and airports and to provide various non-flight services ...

and receive airfield advisories from

during hours of commercial operations. All aircraft receive approach control services from the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center. Gates and aircraft parking slots can be assigned by Unicom or via the airline operations radio communication channels. Jet A fuel is provided by the FBO (fixed-base operator), Atlantic Aviation. All aircraft departing runway 28 make a right or left turn to avoid the populated area of Hayden. Runway 10 has an Instrument Landing System (ILS). Snow and low ceilings during winter months cause some aircraft to divert to other airports including

Denver International Airport Denver International Airport , locally known as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , it is the largest airport i ...

Airport operations

In the year ending December 31, 2021 the airport had 15,497 aircraft operations, average 42 per day: 56%

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

, 32% scheduled airline, 34%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...

, and 1.4% military. Eighteen aircraft were then based at this airport: four single-engine and fourteen multi-engine. The airport has two

ARFF Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) is a type of firefighting that involves the emergency response, mitigation, evacuation, and rescue of passengers and crew of aircraft involved in aviation accidents and incidents. Airports with schedule ...

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

s in the operations garage that are run by full-time and seasonal firefighters. They operate ARFF index C from December to March, and ARFF index B from April to November. The ARFF trucks are staffed by

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions als ...

s when a scheduled

flight Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...

is arriving or departing with more than 10 passengers. Local fire departments, like The West Routt Fire Protection District and the North Routt Fire Protection District, can respond to the airport if mutual aid is needed. Transportation can be provided by local

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

, Lyft, Uber, and three shuttle companies with staffed help desks in the baggage claim terminal.

Airlines and destinations

Historical airline service

Yampa Valley Airport was first served by the original

Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The ca ...

with nonstop flights to Denver and direct flights to Salt Lake City with two stops. The service ran year round from late 1966 until early 1982 and

Convair 580 The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series made some inroa ...

turboprop aircraft were used.

Rocky Mountain Airways Rocky Mountain Airways was an American commuter airline headquartered in Hangar No. 6 of Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. It was sold to Texas Air Corporation/Continental Airlines in 1986 and was operated as a Continental Expr ...

then operated flights to Denver but used the Steamboat Springs Airport. Yampa Valley Airport began seeing seasonal ski service during the winter of 1985/1986 when

Aspen Airways Aspen Airways was an airline carrier and regional affiliate of United Express and based in Hangar 5 in Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. Aspen ceased operations on April 1, 1990, when separate portions of the airline were acqu ...

flew

British Aerospace 146 The British Aerospace 146 (also BAe 146) is a short-haul and regional airliner that was manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2001. Manufacture by Avro International ...

four engine jets to Denver. During the 1986/1987 season,

PSA PSA, PsA, Psa, or psa may refer to: Biology and medicine * Posterior spinal artery * Primary systemic amyloidosis, a disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins * Prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme used as a blood tracer for pros ...

provided flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco using

McDonnell Douglas MD-80 The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second gene ...

jets.

American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...

then began regular seasonal service beginning with the 1987/1988 season and multiple other carriers followed in the years after that. During the 1990s and 2000s Yampa Valley Airport also saw service by

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...

, and TWA. During the 2000/2001 season, the second Midway Airlines (1993-2003) provided nonstop service to Raleigh/Durham, NC. Most major carriers now serve the airport on a seasonal basis while United and Southwest Airlines provide year round service.

Statistics

Top destinations

* Delta curtailed flights due to COVID-19 for most of 2021 and resumed in late 2021

Airline market share

All seasonal flights during ski season begin in December and end in April. The only year-round scheduled flights are to

SkyWest Skywest may refer to: *SkyWest Airlines, an airline serving the United States, Canada and Mexico ** SkyWest, Inc., the parent company of SkyWest Airlines *Skywest Airlines, now operating as Virgin Australia Regional Airlines Virgin Australia ...

flying as

United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...

, as well as flights to

and

Dallas Love Field Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 10, 2008 It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) opened. Love Field covers an area of ...

Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...

. Mainline jets operated by the three major airlines during ski season include the

Airbus A319 The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of . Final assem ...

and

A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fami ...

as well as the

Boeing 737-800 The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a narrow-body aircraft powered by two jet engines and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third generation derivative of the Boein ...

Boeing 717 The Boeing 717 is an American five-abreast single-aisle airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The twin-engine airliner was developed for the 100-seat market and originally marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. It was a shor ...

and

757-200 The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its maide ...

Accidents and incidents

*At 1:56 PM on March 14, 2001, TWA flight 641, a

McDonnell Douglas MD-81 The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second gener ...

from

St. Louis Lambert International Airport St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the primary commercial airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, it is the largest and busiest airport in the state o ...

with 122 passengers and crew, mistakenly landed at the Craig-Moffat Airport (CAG) while on approach into the Yampa Valley Airport during a snowstorm. Craig-Moffat Airport is located approximately 17 miles west of Hayden, Colorado, and its only runway, 7/25, measures 5,600 feet—nearly half that of the Yampa Valley Airport's 10,000 foot runway 10/28. Though the flight landed safely with no injuries, the aircraft did get stuck in mud while attempting a turn at the end of the runway. Passengers were eventually bussed to the Yampa Valley Airport. * At 11:57 on January 22, 2022, JetBlue Airways flight 1748, an Airbus A320-232, suffered a tailstrike on takeoff. As the flight was rolling for takeoff on runway 10, a Beechcraft Super King Air 350 (N350J) was approaching from the opposite direction for a landing on runway 28 at the other end. ADS-B data suggest that the King Air was about 5300 m (2.86 nm) short of the threshold of runway 28 when JetBlue 1748 started rolling for takeoff on runway 10. Horizontal separation when the two aircraft passed, was about . The flight was diverted to Denver and landed safely with no further incident.

References

External links

Yampa Valley Regional Airport

Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN)
at

Colorado DOT The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT, pronounced See Dot) is the principal department of the Colorado state government that administers state government transportation responsibilities in the state of Colorado. CDOT is responsible f ...

airport directory
V
the

fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instructio ...

(FBO)
Aerial image as of September 1999
from

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

The National Map ''The National Map'' is a collaborative effort of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other federal, state, and local agencies to improve and deliver topographic information for the United States. The purpose of the effort is to prov ...

'' * {{US-airport-ga, HDN Transportation buildings and structures in Routt County, Colorado Airports in Colorado