Northern Colorado airport, in era of change, sets grand opening of terminal, hires director

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Earhart Road.

The Northern Colorado Regional Airport is ready to unveil its new $22 million terminal and, only days later, will welcome its new airport director.

On Nov. 7, the airport will host a public grand opening at the airport, 4850 Earhart Road in Loveland, which is located off the frontage road north of Crossroads Boulevard.

Attendees can get an up-close view of aircraft that the airport serves, and there will be food trucks, live music, giveaways and activities for children, according to a news release from the airport, which is jointly owned by the cities of Loveland and Fort Collins.

Airport officials hope the new terminal will help bring commercial airline service to the airport and increase economic opportunities.

The terminal project began in summer 2023 and cost $22 million. It received $17 million in federal CARES Act funding.

More: The Thunderbirds are coming to Northern Colorado in 2025. Here’s what we know

John Kinney named new airport director

The airport has been without a permanent director since former director Jason Licon resigned in spring 2023.

John Kinney, manager of the Boulder Municipal Airport, has been appointed as the director of the Northern Colorado Regional Airport.

A national search was conducted, and finalists were interviewed by officials, including city managers and Northern Colorado Airport Commission members. Kinney was appointed by acting Loveland City Manager Rod Wensing on behalf of the cities, a news release announcing his selection said.

Kinney’s first day will by Nov. 12.

“The Northern Colorado Regional Airport is a well-designed airport with a solid reputation, talented team, great tenants, and strong community partnerships. I’m eager to join this dynamic environment and help shape its future,” Kinney said in the news release. “FNL is not only a vital community asset but also a powerful economic driver with tremendous potential. I look forward to leveraging my experience and fostering collaboration with airport staff to benefit the airport, its stakeholders, and the broader community.”

The airport has been striving for expansion and in an era of change for a few years now.

It is a pilot site for an FAA project to develop a virtual air traffic control tower, where controllers look at a bank of monitors fed by panoramic views of the airport, rather than being perched in a physical tower overlooking it. But uncertainty with that has led the airport to also pursue design of a physical tower. Either way, a control tower could be key to landing commercial airline service once again.

Three airlines have offered commercial flights to limited locations in recent years, Allegiant, Elite and Avelo. When Allegiant pulled out, it cited the lack of a control tower as a reason.

Other projects underway or being funded include a runway widening project and a taxiway realignment.

Some hangar improvements and a new fuel farm won’t be funded in 2025, according to budgets that the two cities still need to approve, but are planned.

The Northern Colorado Regional Airport Commission is also working on restructuring rates and fees, including for public parking, aircraft landing and aircraft parking.

Finally, the airport is also exploring a new governance structure, such as creating a separate airport authority, which is what the airport governance committee is leaning toward.

The airport is currently run by a seven-member commission made up of representatives from each city government and the public. As a result, everything must be approved separately by each city’s City Council.

But the two cities do not necessarily share the same vision for the airport. A four-member board, Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt, Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh, Fort Collins City Council member Julie Pignataro and Loveland City Council member Troy Krenning, is exploring options.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Northern Colorado Regional Airport hires director, to open terminal