Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) is finally getting more comfortable commercial jet service as of today, which is an exciting development for those traveling to the airport.
Aspen Airport now served by Embraer regional jets
Aspen is of course an incredibly popular and high-end ski destination. The city’s airport isn’t very big, and also has challenging conditions, due to the big mountains in the area. As a result, most of the commercial air service at the airport is on the regional subsidiaries of the “big three” US carriers.
Not only that, but service has historically exclusively been on Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft, as Embraer E175s haven’t been allowed to fly to the airport. In recent years, that has started to pose some issues for the airport’s future, given that many airlines are phasing out Bombardier regional jets, in favor of Embraer jets.
However, earlier this year some major progress was made, as airlines started to get approved to fly Embraer E175s to the airport. As of today, United Airlines has started flying it’s more modern regional jet to the airport, and by early 2025, United will fly the Embraer E175 to Aspen from Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), and San Francisco (SFO).
Presumably in the not-too-distant future, we’ll also see American Eagle and Delta Connection upgrade their Aspen flights. This is fantastic news in terms of passenger experience, since the Embraer E175 is a pleasure to fly. It has real big jet energy, without the middle seats. For that matter, United’s E175s have significantly more first class seats and extra legroom economy seats than CRJ-700s.
Another major improvement with this change is that the E175 has better avionics than the CRJ-700, which should reduce delays and cancelations due to weather. That has historically been a major issue for the airport.
Aspen Airport’s expansion drama
Earlier this year, I wrote about the debate over Aspen Airport’s future. In a narrative that’s all too familiar in many communities, some (particularly wealthy) locals in Aspen didn’t want the airport to grow, as they wanted to limit access to the city. However, expanding air traffic to a city is of course objectively good for the economy.
The challenge in Aspen has been that the airport has needed some major upgrades in order to grow and accommodate larger jets, including updates to the taxiways and runway. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was threatening to withhold funding if local authorities weren’t willing to get onboard with improvement projects.
As it turns out, it was ultimately decided that the Embraer E175 could fly to the airport without any modifications to the setup, which is why this is now possible. While some testing was required, this should be an easy enough transition, though it’s expected to happen in a phased manner.
Bottom line
Aspen Airport is now receiving service from Embraer E175s, with United Airlines being the first to fly these jets to the airport. This is a major development, as historically the airport has been restricted primarily to Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft. This is great for passengers, in terms of comfort, operational reliability, and more.
What do you make of this Aspen Airport development?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.