American will operate the service with CRJ-700 jets, which seat 70 passengers.
The flight will leave Los Angeles (LAX) at 8:01 a.m. and arrive at the Durango airport (DRO) at 11:42 a.m. It will leave Durango at 12:20 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 2:07 p.m.
The new flight is a major win for Durango-La Plata County Airport, which is always looking to expand offerings to major hubs, Turner said. It is common for airlines to offer once-a-week or twice-a-week flights on a seasonal basis when testing new markets, he said.
“I fully expect to see this grow into more,” Turner said.
The Los Angeles region is one of the top five markets for Durango passengers, he said. Others include Houston and Chicago, he said. The demand comes from second-home owners, business travelers and tourists.
“This route will provide Durango fliers with new opportunities for access to not only southern California but also enable convenient connections to Hawaii, Asia and Australia on American’s global network,” Turner said. “American Airlines’ expansion of its Durango service will also provide better access for in-bound travelers to Southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region, and provide a significant boost for tourism.”
American Airlines already offers an average of three flights a day to Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth. United Airlines offers six to eight flights a day to Denver.
Turner said he expects the Los Angeles flight to complement existing westbound services.
In the past, local businesses such as Purgatory Resort have subsidized part of the expense of offering a new route, but nothing like that was needed in this case, Turner said. Durango-La Plata County Airport waived landing fees for the first year, he said, but that is typical for new offerings.
“They realize the value of having that service and how it will complement their other service,” he said. “There really wasn’t a need for a strong incentive package for this. The numbers sort of speak for themselves.”
Jack Llewellyn, executive director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce, said residents need to take advantage of the flight this summer “so we can keep it around.”
Turner said he’s been courting the new route since he arrived three years ago.
“These things never come quick,” he said. “They always take a lot of work and a lot of effort.”
Flights will be available for purchase beginning Saturday.
shane@durangoherald.com
