Arrival · Planning for 2027
The Aspen airport closure in 2027
No flights of any kind will land at ASE from April 4 to November 19, 2027. How to get to Aspen instead, and what that changes for a summer or autumn trip.
No flights of any kind will land at ASE from April 4 to November 19, 2027. How to get to Aspen instead, and what that changes for a summer or autumn trip.
From 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2027 until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2027, Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is closed while its runway is rebuilt. That includes private jets: the airport has said no commercial or general aviation flights will operate and the terminal will be shut.
For about seven and a half months, every arrival to Aspen becomes a drive from another airport. That is manageable, but it changes the plan more than most people expect, especially in summer, when Glenwood Canyon on I-70 is also under construction. Here is how we are planning 2027 arrivals for the people we look after.
Paul Montiel · Aspen · Updated September 2026
The main airline alternative. Summer 2027 service is scheduled to grow from 46 to 112 weekly flights, with United and American adding Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles. The road to Aspen runs through Glenwood Canyon.
Our first choice for private aircraft. No airline traffic, open around the clock, a 7,000-foot runway at a lower elevation than Aspen, and the drive to Aspen avoids Glenwood Canyon entirely.
More airline options and larger aircraft, and like Rifle it sits west of Glenwood Canyon. A longer transfer, but a predictable one during the canyon roadwork.
The most flights and usually the best fares. In summer, Independence Pass is normally open, which avoids the canyon; from April 4 until the pass reopens in late May, the only route is I-70 through Glenwood Springs.
From May through October 2027, the Colorado Department of Transportation is repairing I-70 through Glenwood Canyon between No Name and Hanging Lake, with traffic running head-to-head. The drive from Eagle and the drive from Denver both pass through that stretch.
CDOT has asked travellers heading to Aspen from the east to avoid the peaks: Thursday and Friday afternoons westbound and weekday mornings eastbound. Those are exactly the hours many weekend guests fly in and out.
That is why, for summer and autumn 2027, we look at Rifle and Grand Junction first for anyone who can use them, and time Eagle and Denver transfers around the canyon rather than the flight alone.
The last weeks of the ski season overlap the closure. Arrivals after April 4 come via Eagle or Denver, and Independence Pass is still closed, so the Denver route is I-70 through Glenwood Springs, roughly four hours.
Food & Wine, the Ideas Festival, the Music Festival and the August calendar all fall inside the closure. Book Eagle seats early, consider Rifle for private flights, and plan Thursday and Friday arrivals around the canyon hours.
September colour and October quiet are still easy trips; the canyon roadwork runs through October, so the same timing rules apply.
Flights resume from 7:00 p.m. on November 19. For the start of the 2027–28 ski season, expect a busy first weekend back and book arrival transport early.
With ASE closed, the aircraft lands an hour or more from the house. We track the tail number, stage vehicles at Rifle, Eagle or Grand Junction, time the drive around the canyon and have the residence ready, so the longer transfer is the only thing that changes. Private jet to Aspen.
Send the dates, the airport your client is flying into and where they are staying. We handle the Aspen side on the ground, and you keep the relationship. Send the details.
From 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2027 until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19, 2027, for a full runway reconstruction.
No. The airport has said no commercial or general aviation operations will be permitted while it is closed. Private aircraft typically use Rifle Garfield County (RIL), Eagle County (EGE) or Grand Junction (GJT).
For airline travel, Eagle County (about 90 minutes) has the most added service. For private aircraft, Rifle is usually the best fit and avoids Glenwood Canyon. Denver has the most flights but is three and a half to four hours by road.
Yes, from May through October 2027. CDOT is running head-to-head traffic between No Name and Hanging Lake and asks travellers to avoid Thursday and Friday afternoons westbound and weekday mornings eastbound. Routes from Eagle and Denver pass through the canyon; routes from Rifle and Grand Junction do not.
A community transportation committee is contracting ground transportation from regional airports for the closure; details are expected before it begins. We coordinate private transfers from any of the alternate airports.
During the closure Aspen Privé stays on the ground in Aspen. We coordinate transportation from the right alternate airport and build the residence, luggage, dining and the rest of the stay around the new arrival plan.
A driver from whichever airport makes sense on the day, timed to your actual landing.
Ramp-side transport, luggage and residence timing around your tail number.
Heat, lights, beds and the first evening sorted before you walk in.
The kitchen stocked to your list before you land.
We follow the flight and move the ground plan if it's delayed, cancelled or diverted.
Aspen/Pitkin County Airport: 2027 closure dates · ASE Modernization · Aspen Times: EGE summer 2027 flights · Aspen Daily News: Glenwood Canyon construction in 2027 · CDOT: Independence Pass · Rifle Garfield County Airport — checked September 28, 2026.
Tell us when you're coming, who is travelling and how you plan to fly. We'll recommend the airport, time the drive around the canyon work and have the house ready when you arrive.
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