The future of one of two airports on a main VFR route through the southern Rockies is under review as councillors in Golden ponder their facility’s economic viability. The Golden Airport is home to a skydiving business and a couple of helicopter companies and has a 4500X75-foot paved runway with a challenging instrument approach. The pavement has reached the end of its useful life and the town is looking at a substantial bill to bring it back to good condition, even assuming it qualifies for federal and provincial grants.
The town has hired HM Aero Aviation Consulting to look at the current status of the facility and possibilities for the future. Among those potential options is finding something else to do with the prime riverfront land. The airport had about 5,300 movements in 2019. “A fundamental component of the study is engaging with local, regional, and national stakeholders to obtain perspectives on future opportunities that could enhance the economic and social benefit of the Airport,” the city says on Web page dedicated to the study. That page also has links for public comment.