Time Machine Tuesday: Colorado Community Air Service Assessment

In 1984 the Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Division of Local Government convened a committee to discuss problems facing airports and the airline industry in Colorado.  They published the results of their study in a booklet entitled The Colorado Community Air Service Assessment.  This report studied air travel in various communities around the state, not just the state’s then-major airport, Stapleton International.  After an introduction to the assessment, the booklet offers “A Historic Overview of the Air Transportation Industry and its Impact Upon the State of Colorado.”  This history traces the development of air service in regions around the state.  Next, the booklet covers how Coloradans perceive air service in their state; the airline industry perceptions of conditions in Colorado; and what external forces might influence the airline industry in the coming years.  This analysis refers to the problem of congestion at Stapleton, which of course was replaced by the new Denver International Airport a decade after this publication was produced.  This document is a helpful resource for anyone researching the history of air travel in Colorado.