Why we publish this list
Schedulers and flight departments ask the same two questions: do you know our FBO, and how long is the drive. Both answers should be public rather than a phone call, so here they are.
For commercial arrivals and a field-by-field comparison, see the Colorado airports guide.
Every operator name on this page came from the airport authority or the FBO itself, not from a directory that scraped a directory. Every drive time came from routing data, not from an estimate. The names change more often than people expect. The FBO at Eagle County was the Vail Valley Jet Center until Signature bought it in 2021, Montrose was Black Canyon Jet Center until 2016, and Rifle was Rifle Air until 2007. If a vendor still uses the old name in a quote, that tells you something about how recently they worked the field.
The two numbers that decide the trip
Passengers pick an airport on flight time. The ground leg is what they feel. Landing at Eagle County puts a Vail arrival 46 minutes from the hotel; landing at Denver International puts the same passenger two and a half hours out, in traffic, over Vail Pass. Neither is wrong, but they are different trips and they should be priced and staffed as such.
The same logic runs the other way in a storm. When the mountain fields go down, Denver, Grand Junction and Rifle keep taking aircraft, and the ground leg absorbs the difference. That is the service, and it is why we do not cancel a ride because the airport changed. Tell us where you actually landed.
Colorado FBOs, Airport by Airport
Operator names come from the airport authorities and the FBOs. Drive times are road routing to downtown Denver, Vail and Aspen in clear conditions, and every one of them gets longer in a storm.
| Airport | FBOs on field | Downtown Denver | Vail | Aspen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEN Denver International | Signature Aviation DEN | 26 mi / 38 min | 121 mi / 2h29 | 223 mi / 4h33 |
| APA Centennial | Signature North, Signature South, jetCenters of Colorado, Modern Aviation, The Heliplex | 19 mi / 29 min | 115 mi / 2h19 | 216 mi / 4h23 |
| BJC Rocky Mountain Metro | Signature Flight Support, Sheltair | 18 mi / 29 min | 106 mi / 2h12 | 208 mi / 4h17 |
| EGE Eagle County | Signature Aviation EGE (formerly Vail Valley Jet Center) | 131 mi / 2h42 | 36 mi / 46 min | 69 mi / 1h34 |
| ASE Aspen/Pitkin County | Atlantic Aviation (sole FBO) | 195 mi / 3h58 | 99 mi / 2h01 | 4 mi / 9 min |
| RIL Rifle Garfield County | Atlantic Aviation | 181 mi / 3h35 | 85 mi / 1h38 | 66 mi / 1h31 |
| LXV Lake County (Leadville) | Leadville Air Center (county-run) | 104 mi / 2h18 | 41 mi / 57 min | 57 mi / 1h59 summer only |
| GJT Grand Junction Regional | West Star Aviation (sole FBO) | 243 mi / 4h38 | 147 mi / 2h41 | 128 mi / 2h34 |
| MTJ Montrose Regional | Atlantic Aviation | 294 mi / 5h46 | 198 mi / 3h50 | 134 mi / 3h27 |
| TEX Telluride Regional | Airport-operated aircraft and pilot services | 361 mi / 7h21 | 265 mi / 5h25 | 201 mi / 5h02 |
Leadville to Aspen runs over Independence Pass, which closes for the winter; from November into late spring that trip goes the long way around through Glenwood Springs.
Front Range
DEN · Denver International
Signature Aviation runs the private terminal on Harry B. Combs Parkway, on a ramp entirely separate from the airline concourses. It is the only Colorado field with a 16,000-foot runway and full-time Customs, so it takes the long-haul and international arrivals the smaller fields cannot. Ground side, you are 38 minutes from downtown and just over four hours from Aspen.
APA · Centennial
The busiest general aviation airport in Colorado, with five operators on the field: Signature North, Signature South, jetCenters of Colorado, Modern Aviation, and The Heliplex for rotorcraft. We know the pickup procedure at each one, which matters, because "meet me at Centennial" is not an address. Give us the FBO name with the tail number.
BJC · Rocky Mountain Metro
Two FBOs in Broomfield: Signature Flight Support on Airport Way and Sheltair on Rocky Road. This is the field for Boulder, the Flatirons corporate corridor, and anything mountain-bound that wants to skip the south metro. It is also the shortest drive to Vail of the three Front Range options.
Mountain corridor
EGE · Eagle County
Signature Aviation, formerly the Vail Valley Jet Center, is the FBO on the field at 871 Cooley Mesa Road in Gypsum. NetJets opened its own private terminal here in March 2025, an owner facility rather than a public FBO. EGE is 46 minutes from Vail and an hour and a half from Aspen, which makes it the practical second choice when Aspen is closed or full.
ASE · Aspen/Pitkin County
Atlantic Aviation is the sole FBO, at 69 East Airport Road, on a 30-year lease with Pitkin County. Atlantic runs 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; the airport takes arrivals 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and departures until 10:30 p.m. Nine minutes to town, and no late-night operation to fall back on when a flight slips.
RIL · Rifle Garfield County
Atlantic Aviation, on a 7,000-foot runway the airport says accommodates 727s and 737s, with a continuously monitored ILS that makes it a 24-hour alternate. Rifle is the field crews ask for when they miss Aspen or Eagle, and it is the general aviation option Pitkin County names for the 2027 Aspen closure. Sixty-six miles from Aspen.
LXV · Lake County, Leadville
The Leadville Air Center is county-run, open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a $50 after-hours callout, and it sits at 9,934 feet, the highest public-use field in North America. A 6,400-foot runway with a 20,000-pound limit and no tower makes it turboprop and light-aircraft territory. Eight ski areas within an hour.
Western Slope and San Juans
GJT · Grand Junction Regional
West Star Aviation is the sole FBO, and also runs a major maintenance operation on the field. GJT has commercial service and a runway program underway, and it is the field that keeps working when the I-70 mountain corridor does not. Two and a half hours to Aspen.
MTJ · Montrose Regional
Atlantic Aviation, at 2000 Airport Road, since it bought Black Canyon Jet Center in 2016. This is the jet gateway to Telluride, an hour and three-quarters by road. Atlantic has already posted a ramp compression notice for December 24, 2026 through January 3, 2027, so holiday arrivals want an early trip plan on both the air and ground side.
TEX · Telluride Regional
Telluride runs its own aircraft and pilot services rather than leasing to a national chain. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., dropping to 6 p.m. from October 1 through June 14, with a $200 per hour per person after-hours callout. At 9,070 feet with an 89,000-pound runway, this is a demanding field, and a weather diversion here usually means Montrose and a 69-mile drive.
The 2027 Aspen closure changes this table
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport closes Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 11 p.m. through Friday, November 19, 2027 at 7 p.m. for runway reconstruction, and it will be closed to helicopters for the same period. Pitkin County names Rifle Garfield County Airport as the field available for general aviation, and points commercial travelers to Denver, Grand Junction, Montrose and Eagle County.
Read down the Aspen column and you can see what that means on the ground. Every private arrival that summer carries a drive of an hour and a half or more instead of nine minutes: Rifle 66 miles, Eagle County 69, Grand Junction 128, Montrose 134, Denver 223. Vehicle supply in the Roaring Fork Valley does not grow to match, and every operator in the state has read the same notice. If you coordinate for an owner or a charter client, book the ground side well ahead of the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Colorado FBOs does Arion serve?
All of them on this page: Signature at Denver International; Signature North and South, jetCenters of Colorado, Modern Aviation and The Heliplex at Centennial; Signature and Sheltair at Rocky Mountain Metro; Signature at Eagle County; Atlantic at Aspen, Rifle and Montrose; West Star at Grand Junction; the Leadville Air Center; and Telluride's airport-run operation. Give us the FBO name with the tail number and we coordinate the meet directly.
Which airport should we use for Vail?
Eagle County (EGE) is 36 miles and about 46 minutes from Vail, and it is the right answer whenever the flight can get in there. Rocky Mountain Metro is the shortest Front Range drive at 106 miles, Centennial 115, Denver International 121. All three Front Range options are a two-hour-plus ground leg over Vail Pass.
Which airport should we use for Aspen?
Aspen (ASE) is 4 miles from town, and nothing else is close. After that it is Rifle at 66 miles, Eagle County at 69, Grand Junction at 128, Montrose at 134 and Denver at 223. During the 2027 Aspen closure, Rifle is the general aviation field Pitkin County names.
Which airport should we use for Telluride?
Telluride Regional (TEX) is 6 miles from town but a demanding field at 9,070 feet with limited hours. Montrose (MTJ) is the reliable jet gateway at 69 miles and about an hour and three-quarters. We handle both, and we plan the Montrose fallback into winter trips as a matter of course.
Can you meet us planeside?
Where the FBO permits vehicle access to the ramp, yes. Where they do not, we meet you in the lobby and take the bags from there. Ramp access is the FBO's decision and it varies by field and by day, so we tell you which one applies rather than promise planeside everywhere.
What happens if our flight diverts?
We reposition. Colorado mountain diversions are routine, and our standing policy is that we do not cancel your ride because the airport changed. Call or text dispatch at (970) 703-4995 with the field you actually landed at, day or night, and we send a vehicle there.
Do you handle crew, not just passengers?
Yes. Crew hotel runs, early repositioning legs and standing flight department accounts all go through the same 24/7 dispatch as the passenger side. Schedulers can pull our COI, W-9, PUC permit and account terms from the flight department page.
How far ahead should we book?
For a routine Front Range pickup, a day is usually enough. For holiday weeks, ski season Saturdays and anything in the Roaring Fork or Vail valleys, book when the trip is filed. Atlantic has already posted ramp compression at Montrose for December 24, 2026 through January 3, 2027, and ground supply tightens on exactly those days.
Booking on someone else's behalf? The flight department and scheduler page has our COI, W-9, PUC permit and account terms.
Sources
Operator names, hours and airport specifications on this page come from the airport authorities and the operators themselves. Check them yourself:
- Centennial Airport — business directory of on-field FBOs
- Jefferson County — Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport FBOs
- Signature Aviation — Denver International (DEN)
- Atlantic Aviation — Aspen (ASE) hours and services
- Atlantic Aviation — Montrose/Telluride (MTJ)
- Rifle Garfield County Airport — services and approaches
- Lake County, Colorado — Leadville Air Center
- Grand Junction Regional Airport — FBO services
- Telluride Regional Airport — aircraft and pilot services
- Aspen/Pitkin County Airport — 2027 closure fact sheet
Tell us the tail number and the FBO.
We track the aircraft, coordinate with the line staff, and reposition when the airport changes.
Last reviewed: September 13, 2026 by Arion dispatch. FBO operators, airport hours and drive times change; call (970) 703-4995 for current details. Apron photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
*Base rates shown. Additional fees: 9.3% sales tax, 4% credit-card processing and, where applicable, a 12% fuel surcharge (waived on all-electric Luxury Sedan trips). Gratuity is never automatically added or assumed. Your complete price is shown before you confirm.