Glenwood Springs Airport will have changes both large and small going into next year. 

Hangar leasing prices are slated to increase in 2023, but not by too much, and changes will still need to be presented to the Glenwood Springs City Council and voted on. 

The biggest change will be the airport charging $.57 a square foot instead of charging a lease at $660 per plane that fits in space. 

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“It makes the fees fair for all,” said Cristi Newton, the Glenwood Springs parks and recreation staff and community center manager. Management of the airport is handled through the city’s parks and recreation department.

Before, people were paying the same price whether they had a large or small hangar space, both she and airport board member Dave Merritt explained. This new pricing system is structured after the Steamboat Springs airport which is very similar to the Glenwood Springs airport. 

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All other changes look to be minor, like a $25 increase for an annual tie down fee, and a $50 increase for an annual airport user fee. There is planned to be a $25 fee increase for monthly tie down fee, but that looks like it will encourage people to pay the annual fee instead. 

The commercial refueler/trailer/helicopter monthly parking will also increase by $50. 

The nightly tie down fee, the commercial refueler/trailer/helicopter nightly parking and the late fee will remain the same as they have been for now. 

The airport has received a lot of critical care this year, with an asphalt repaving and a new incoming fueling system.

The fueling system was required to be updated after the fire marshal found it to be unsafe late last year. 

Typically, the city plans their grant requests for two to three years ahead of time, and although the request for this year was already decided, CDOT was able to amend the request and the amount to accommodate a new fueling system, Newton said.

“The fire marshal made the city do a ton of work just to keep the airport open,” Newton said. “It was essential to get the new tank funds to keep it open.”

Everything has been built and set up for the new system, the only thing left is receiving the tanks themselves. They have been delayed due to shipping and production shortages, which are requiring just a couple small parts to be completed. 

Once the tanks arrive, they will be attached to the station and they’ll be ready to go. It’s estimated that they will arrive by November, but shipment has been continuously postposted all year. 

The new fueling system features two 7,000 gallon fueling tanks that will offer 100 Low Lead fuel and Jet A fuel for helicopters, specifically Classic Air Medical, the medical helicopter for Valley View Hospital and a crucial asset for emergencies in the region. 

“We’ve increased the ability to support Classic Air Medical quite a bit because they were running off of a 500 gallon temporary tank, and so they were not always sure there would be fuel when they needed it,” Merritt said. 

Merritt said that sometimes they would have to fly to other locations like Rifle to fuel up if there wasn’t enough in Glenwood Springs. They always have to fuel up after a mission to make sure they are prepared for the next emergency. A 7,000 gallon tank will make fueling more reliable in Glenwood Springs.

“They can always be certain that they can just make the most direct flight to pick up someone or take them where they need to go and return here,” he said.

The airport is a huge asset for this community, especially after how useful it proved to be after the Grizzly Creek Fire and there are many people and reasons to keep it preserved, Newton said.