Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (KCOS) was chose as the 2019 Colorado Airport of the Year by the Colorado Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics.
This is the first award of its kind presented by the Colorado Division of Aeronautics that will annually recognize a Colorado public-use airport that exhibits outstanding contributions to the Colorado airport system, according to state aviation officials.
“Airports recognized as the Colorado Airport of the Year demonstrate values that fall in line with the CDOT Division of Aeronautics mission to advance a safe, efficient, and an effective statewide air and space system through collaboration, investment, and advocacy,” officials say.
On April 16, 2018, the Colorado Springs Airport main terminal suffered extensive damage following a fire that caused around $5.6 million in damage. Because of the rapid and efficient response of airport staff, the airport was only closed for a day and airport operations were continued with minimal effect on passengers traveling through the airport, according to officials.
The Colorado Springs Municipal Airport is Colorado’s only military joint-use facility with Peterson Air Force Base. Additionally, the airport supports commercial air service, general aviation services, aerial wildland firefighting aircraft operations, and a business park development.
In the 2013 Economic Impact Study of Colorado Airports, the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport was responsible for supporting 27,721 jobs, producing over $1.7 billion in annual payroll, while generating $3.7 billion in overall annual economic output. An update to this study is expected to be released by the Colorado Division of Aeronautics in the Spring of 2020.
The Colorado Airport System consists of 74 public use airports that support over 265,000 jobs, provide $12.6 billion in annual payroll, and $36.7 billion in total annual economic output for the State of Colorado.