But perhaps the major reason that Durango needs more and better airline service is to attract more major businesses/employers to our area. Almost all such businesses have employees who need to take business trips via air. Such businesses have as a location criteria the availability and reliability of airline service. And right now, these businesses sure aren’t choosing Durango for a new business location. I know more than just a little about business site-selection criteria. Durango meets most of them, such as desirable place to live, good schools, growing community, presence of a college (soon to be a university) and (unfortunately) a large supply of currently underemployed workers from which a new major business could build a workforce. The only selection criteria Durango fails is due to the low level of airline service.

I hope officials engaged in planning airport improvements are talking with airlines from whom we have been wanting service for years (like Southwest) and asking them what airport improvements would it take to get them to offer service to Durango.

Richard H. Ruth

Durango