Aspen 2027
Aspen airport closes for
seven months in 2027.
April 4 to November 19, 2027. No commercial flights. Here is how you still get to Aspen.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) closes at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2027 and reopens at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2027 for a full runway reconstruction and a new passenger terminal. For those seven and a half months there are no commercial flights into Aspen, which means every arriving traveler comes in by road — most often from Eagle County (EGE, about 70 miles), Grand Junction (GJT, about 125 miles) or Denver International (DEN, about 220 miles). Arion runs all three as private chauffeured transfers.
The closure
What is actually happening
Pitkin County voters approved a modernization of the airport, and the centerpiece is a complete rebuild of the runway to current Federal Aviation Administration standards, along with construction of a new commercial passenger terminal. Rather than stretch the work across several seasons of partial closures, the airport chose one continuous shutdown.
The timing is deliberate. The closure begins after the 2026–27 ski season has run its course and ends a few weeks before the 2027–28 season opens. Winter skiers are largely spared. Summer is not: the entire 2027 summer calendar sits inside the window, including the Food & Wine Classic in June, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Jazz Aspen Snowmass season and the heart of the valley's wedding season.
One more thing worth saying plainly, because it gets lost: the 2026–27 ski season is unaffected. Aspen's airport operates normally this winter. If you are booking for this coming season, nothing on this page applies to your trip.
Your options
Choosing your replacement airport
Eagle County Regional (EGE) is the closest option at roughly 70 miles, about an hour and a half by road down I-70 and up the Roaring Fork Valley. It has seasonal nonstop service from a number of large hub cities, and it is the natural substitute when your airline serves it.
Grand Junction Regional (GJT) sits about 125 miles west, roughly two and a half hours, approaching Aspen from the other direction through Glenwood Springs. It is quieter, easier to move through, and often overlooked.
Denver International (DEN) is about 220 miles and four to four and a half hours, but it has by far the deepest flight schedule in the region — nonstop from nearly anywhere, at nearly any hour. For international arrivals and for anyone who values flight options over drive time, it is usually the right answer, and the drive through Glenwood Canyon is genuinely one of the best in the country.
Practical advice
What we would tell you if you called us
Book the ground leg when you book the flight, not after. During the closure, every passenger who would have landed in Aspen is competing for the same finite pool of vehicles in a valley that is not large. Summer weekends in 2027 will tighten first.
Give us the flight, not just the time. We track commercial arrivals and adjust for delays on our end, so a late inbound does not become your problem on the curb.
If your group is arriving on several flights, tell us that too. Staggered arrivals are routine for us and are usually better handled with more than one vehicle than with one vehicle waiting three hours.
Questions we get about this
When exactly does Aspen airport close?
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport closes at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2027 and reopens at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2027. The dates come from the airport's own announcement of the voter-approved modernization project.
Why is the airport closing?
The runway is being completely reconstructed to meet current FAA standards, alongside construction of a new commercial passenger terminal. Pitkin County voters approved the project, and the airport chose a single continuous closure rather than years of partial shutdowns.
Will flights into Aspen run during the closure?
No commercial flights will operate at ASE during that window. Travelers heading to Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley will fly into another Colorado airport and finish the trip by road.
Which airport should I fly into instead?
Eagle County Regional (EGE) is the closest at about 70 miles, Grand Junction (GJT) is about 125 miles, and Denver International (DEN) is about 220 miles with by far the most flight options. The right choice usually comes down to which airport your airline serves nonstop.
How long is the drive to Aspen from each airport?
From Eagle County, plan on about 1.5 hours. From Grand Junction, about 2.5 hours. From Denver International, about 4 to 4.5 hours in clear conditions, longer in winter weather or I-70 traffic.
Can Arion handle these transfers?
Yes. We already run Denver to Aspen regularly, and the Eagle County and Grand Junction routes are the same drive with a shorter first leg. Chauffeured sedans, luxury SUVs and vans, hourly rates with a two-hour minimum, and an all-inclusive quote before you book.
Should I book early for summer 2027?
Yes. Every commercial passenger who would have flown into Aspen between April and November 2027 needs ground transportation instead, and the Food and Wine Classic, Aspen Ideas Festival and the summer wedding season all fall inside the closure. Vehicle supply in the valley is finite.
Planning a 2027 trip to Aspen?
Hourly rates, two-hour minimum. Tell us the date and the party size and we will send an all-inclusive quote.
Last reviewed: August 24, 2026 by Arion dispatch. Rates, policies and Colorado Department of Transportation rules are subject to change; call (970) 703-4995 for current details.