CDOT Division of Aeronautics Releases 2020 Aviation System Plan

WATKINS – The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics released the 2020 Colorado Aviation System Plan (CASP). It was unanimously adopted by the Colorado Aeronautical Board during their Aug. 26 meeting.

Colorado’s Aviation System Plan identifies the needs of the state’s 74 public-use airports and their performance and interaction with the state’s aviation system.     

The development of this year’s CASP began in September 2018, with a project team consisting of Division staff, Kimley-Horn and Associates, EBP, KRAMER Aerotek and a Project Advisory Committee comprised of CAB members, airport managers, the Colorado Airport Operators Association, the Federal Aviation Administration and CDOT planning staff.

CASP focuses on four overarching system goals, which were modeled in relation to broader CDOT goals: Safety and Efficiency, Access and Mobility, Economic Sustainability and System Viability. 

Performance measures and system indicators were developed that relate to each goal.  Those measures directly relate to assessing the system’s performance in meeting the goals while system indicators provide informational analyses that inform and indirectly relate to the system’s performance.   The Division will also be integrating the newly developed system performance measures into its web-based Information Management System, allowing the Division to easily track and report the progress of system performance relative to its investments.

Facility and service objectives also were developed for airports and provides the minimum recommended guidelines by airport classification and offer specific guidance on how airports can improve their abilities to serve constituents and enhance the statewide aviation system.  The performance measures, facility and service objectives, and airport Capital Improvement Plans help to determine the total system needs over a 20-year planning horizon (2018-2038).  When considering all of these factors, the total system needs totaled $9.1 billion in airport project needs, including CIP costs of Denver International Airport (DEN).  Excluding DEN’s CIP costs resulted in an estimated 20-year system need of $1.75 billion.

The final plan includes several deliverables available for download including the CASP Technical Report, Executive Summary, and individual airport brochures that highlight each airport’s role in the Colorado Aviation System. Visit the 2020 Colorado Aviation System Plan webpage for more details.

About the Division of Aeronautics

Under the Direction of the Colorado Aeronautical Board, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics supports Colorado's multi-modal transportation system by advancing a safe, efficient, and effective statewide air and space system through collaboration, investment and advocacy. In partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, 74 public use airports and a diverse group of aviation system users, the Division also works to promote aviation safety and education through the efficient administration of the Colorado Aviation Fund.