Eagle County Regional Airport (IATA: EGE, ICAO: KEGE, FAA LID: EGE) (Vail/Eagle Airport or the Eagle Vail Airport) is four miles (6 km) west of Eagle, Colorado. The airport serves its namesake Eagle County, which includes visitors to the nearby Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts. It covers 632 acres (256 ha) and has one runway. The History Channel rated Eagle County Regional Airport as #8 on its list of Most Extreme Airports in July, 2010 due to the elevation, weather variability, an approach through mountainous terrain and challenging departure procedures. In 2008-2009, the Airport completed a runway repaving and extension project, increasing the runway length to 9,000 feet.
The Airport is largely seasonal, with the greatest number of scheduled flights operating during the winter months. During the ski season, EGE is the second busiest airport in Colorado after the Denver International Airport. Eagle serves as a great alternative to Denver for skiers at major resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Breckenridge. Due to the abundance of flights into EGE and the ability to accept larger aircraft than Aspen, during the ski season, a number of passengers fly to EGE rather than trying to fly to Aspen. Operations to the airport during the summer months have become popular with tourists, with United Express offering service year-round and with American Airlines serving the Airport June through September. The airport is popular with private aircraft operators and has one of the top rated fixed-base operators in the country, the Vail Valley Jet Center. Due to the variety of private and commercial aircraft, CNN rated EGE as one of the world's top places to spot aircraft.
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Terminal and facilities
EGE's terminal has a single concourse with five gates, built in 1996 and remodeled in 2001 and 2007. There are four TSA screening lanes, a pre-security concession/gift shop, and three luggage carousels, in addition to a special ski/snowboard slide. In 2012, a new inline baggage handling system was constructed in time for the 2012/13 ski season. Beyond the security checkpoint, there is a restaurant, coffee shop, gift shop, and bar. The Airport also offers free Wi-Fi in the terminal. Like most Colorado airports, there are no jet bridges, with all passengers exiting and entering the plane via airstairs. The Airport has customs facilities for private aircraft located at the Vail Valley Jet Center.
Keystone To Denver Airport Video
Local transportation
Most major car rental companies are also present. Eagle County has its own ECO Transit department, with buses running regularly between the Airport and the ski resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek.
There are several private charter companies that offer ground transportation service to Vail, Beaver Creek, and Aspen. On-site companies with ground transportation counters in the airport's main terminal are available.
Operations
The Eagle County Sheriff provides airport security response. The Airport has its own ARFF department with three fire trucks, including two state of the art Oshkosh Striker trucks. The Airport has a full complement of snow plows, snow blowers, and powered brooms for snow removal operations, along with a complete runway friction measuring system. The tower is staffed by SERCO contract air traffic controllers.
Aircraft procedures
While there is no standard published ILS approach at the Airport, there is a special ILS approach, mostly used by the airlines, which requires permission and training from the FSDO. General Aviation aircraft, for the most part, arrive using a LDA approach, DME, or by operating under VFR. The Airport also has an on-site Beacon Interrogator (BI-6) Radar facility. All IFR clearances are given by the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).
Airport operations
In the winter, Air Canada, American, Delta, and United Airlines provide non-stop jet service between EGE and twelve cities across North America, including a flight from Toronto/Toronto Pearson International Airport on Saturdays. Summer options consist of daily non-stop flights on United Express, linking Eagle County Regional Airport to Denver. United Airlines also offers infrequent summer service to their Houston, Texas hub. American Airlines currently offers summer service to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas and Los Angeles International Airport/LAX.
During the ski season, airlines mostly operate the Boeing 757 which are able to make non-stop flights to most U.S. airports. American Airlines flies an Airbus A319 on routes from Los Angeles, select frequencies from Dallas, and O'Hare International Airport. United Airlines operates a Boeing 737-700 on its daily Newark nonstop flight as well as select frequencies to Houston. Air Canada operates an Airbus A319 on their winter Saturday only service. Year-round, United Express service is operated by SkyWest Airlines on a Bombardier CRJ700 series Regional Jet from Denver.
Of the regional ski resort airport--excluding Denver and Salt Lake City--Eagle County Regional Airport has the second most regular flights during the winter, behind Aspen, CO, and ahead of Jackson Hole, WY. Eagle County Regional Airport commands regular, ski season service from twelve cities across North America, including a flight from Toronto on Air Canada.
Airlines and destinations
Statistics
Top destinations
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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