Northern Colorado travelers may soon be able to bypass the security lines at DIA. KUNC鈥檚 Erin O鈥橳oole talks with Jeff Nuttall, publisher of the , about how the wingless flight program could work.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: So, Jeff, we heard a little about this when it was first announced. What鈥檚 the 鈥渨ingless flight鈥� program all about?
Nuttall: I think it could be a really great deal for anyone from Northern Colorado who needs to fly out of DIA, Erin. The Fort Collins-Loveland Airport is using a $221,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to explore the possibility of letting travelers go through security screening at the local airport then take a bus directly to their concourse at DIA.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: That鈥檚 certainly a different approach. What would be the major advantages of such a program?
Nuttall: Obviously, it would save fliers time 鈥� anyone who has waited in the screening line at DIA can appreciate that -- and money on parking in the expensive airport lots. It would also save on toll road fees, and taking cars off of the interstate always reduces the carbon footprint, so that鈥檚 good. But it would also save money for DIA by reducing the need to devote more space to security or parking as the airport becomes busier.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: So how would it work?
Nuttall: Let鈥檚 say you had a 10 o鈥檆lock flight out of DIA. Instead of fighting morning rush hour traffic to be there early enough to get through the TSA screening then cool your heels on the concourse, you could show up at Fort Collins-Loveland, check in for your flight, drop off your bags, go through security, then hop on the bus. Next stop, your departure gate. Because the bus makes no stops in between Loveland and DIA, you and your bags don鈥檛 have to be rescreened.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: What sort of demand would there be for such a program?
Nuttall: That鈥檚 one of the things the grant money is going to be used to study. The number of commercial passengers flying out of the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport has increased fairly steadily since 2007. The total number of enplanements in 2010 was well over 35,000, and through September, the number is already close to the total number for all of 2007. So there are a lot of fliers within a 30-mile radius of the airport.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: I鈥檓 curious how would this affect existing airport shuttle services?
Nuttall: Fort Collins-Loveland airport officials are also exploring partnering with some of the companies that already go to DIA. But not picking up additional passengers on the way could have an impact on the shuttle services鈥� revenue.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: Right. Was this a special grant just for our local airport?
Nuttall: Fort Collins-Loveland was among 30 airports selected to receive funding through the Small Community Air Service Development Program, out of 70 that applied. The idea is to test different ideas to see if they are feasible locally, and then take them to the next level. If the wingless flight model takes off, as it were, it could eventually be implemented at other community airports throughout the nation, allowing both travelers and airlines opportunities for market growth.
翱鈥橳辞辞濒别: I鈥檇 imagine there鈥檇 be a lot of interest in this. So -- when does the first bus leave?
Nuttall: Well, it could be a ways off, Erin, maybe even as much as two years. There are a host of issues to be worked out with the TSA, as you can imagine. And airport officials are just in the earliest stages of developing a strategy to build buy-in from major Northern Colorado employers, those who have the most frequent business travelers and who could potentially benefit the most from such a program.
In fact, the grant focuses specifically on how the airport can enhance the growth of business air travel, in addition to its already robust commercial leisure-destination service. But it鈥檚 an idea that certainly has my attention.
