Bizav Traffic at DNC in Denver Less Than Anticipated

The volume of business aircraft arrivals for the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week has been less than predicted, Denver-area FBOs serving the turbine-powered fleet have reported. Levels have been so low that the FAA’s special traffic management plan for the event had not gone into effect as of this morning. Cutter Aviation at Colorado Springs Municipal Airport (COS), 60 miles south of the convention site at Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, prepared for an influx of convention arrivals that didn’t occur. Jessi Scudder, Cutter’s facility manager at COS, told AIN, “We had some convention traffic, but not as much as expected. We had heard that Denver would be packed and they would be heading toward us. A few double-booked reservations, but canceled when they found they could get into the Denver area.” She added that “a few” business aircraft had scheduled arrivals in advance of tonight’s nomination acceptance speech by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).