It’s definitely a plane – and there’s going to be more of them in the area, according to representatives from three local airports and the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Aeronautics Division.

Stacey Stegman, SVP over Global Communications and Marketing with Denver International Airport (DEN); David Ruppel, Airport Director for Front Range Airport; Robert Olislagers, Executive Director of Centennial Airport; and Dave Ulane, Director of Aeronautics with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), all share the stage at Chamber’s annual Air Transportation in the Eastern Metro Area meeting on April 5. The meeting was held at the Arapahoe County Centrepoint Plaza building in Aurora, CO.

“2016 was a record year for passengers, with more than 58 million served,” said Stegman. And although the statistics are staggering, DEN is still growing. Planning for the future of the International Airport includes investments in its terminal and concourse expansion, airfield safety, land development and roadways.

Front Range and Centennial Airports are also seeing growth. Ruppel shared that they are working towards a Spaceport License, and Olislagers talked about the plan to redesign Denver airspace, as well as innovative projects based at the airport, including an electric airplane by Bye Aerospace.

Dave Ulane, Director of Aeronautics with CDOT talked about how they all work together to “chart a clear course forward” in aviation in Colorado. He pulled all four talks together with his final slide, which read “A mile of highway will take you a mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere in the world.”

The presentations are available by contacting Mitzi.Schindler@aurorachamber.org.