- Colorado Springs is the only large commercial airport in southern Colorado. Seventy miles south of Denver and six miles south of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Airport (COS) provides nonstop service to 11 U.S. cities across the country. As of 2011, airlines with service to Colorado Springs Airport are Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Frontier Airlines and United. Colorado Springs airport has three levels and 16 gates and is located near Interstate 25. The military also uses Colorado Springs Airport.
- Regional airports connect smaller cities and rural towns with major cities such as Denver, Colorado and Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Colorado's regional airports are Alamosa San Luis Valley Regional (ALS), Cortez Municipal (CEZ), Durango La Plata County (DRO), Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional (GUC), Montrose Regional (MTJ), Pueblo Memorial (PUB) and Telluride Regional (TEX). These airports accommodate smaller commercial aircraft, enabling residents to connect to larger centers. Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional and Montrose Regional airports have additional nonstop flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas, during the winter ski season.
- Counties across southern Colorado have airports for private plane owners and their clients. These airports are publicly owned by the county or municipality, and are open to the public. Commercial airline service is not available. The municipality, county or a private fixed base operator manages the airport, providing public information, aircraft and airport maintenance, hangars and storage facilities. Some offer flight training and special public events such as airplane fly-ins or long-distance races. Lamar Municipal Airport (LAA) has an on-demand shuttle service to Denver.
- Ranch owners, utility companies, hospitals and other private landowners own small airports for their own use. These airports do not provide commercial service and are not open to the public. They must comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. In 2011, there were more than 130 private airports in southern Colorado, most of them in rural areas.
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