Elite Airways to launch limited airline service in Northern Colorado

LOVELAND — Limited commercial airline service could return to Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport as soon as Aug. 1.

Elite Airways, based in Melbourne, Fla., plans three flights a week to and from Chicago-Rockford International Airport. Loveland Mayor Cecil Gutierrez, who made the announcement near the end of Tuesday night’s Loveland City Council meeting, said the flights to and from Rockford would be on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The Fort Collins-Loveland airport has been without commercial airline service since October 2012, when Allegiant Air ended its flights to and from Las Vegas and Phoenix. Allegiant officials cited the lack of a control tower at the airport as a factor in its decision to stop serving Northern Colorado after nine years.

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Chicago-Rockford International Airport, located about four miles south of Rockford, Ill., and 85 miles northwest of downtown Chicago via Interstate 90, earned its “international” designation because commercial flights from there go to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. It also has commercial connections to Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Fort Myers, Fla., as well as Las Vegas and Phoenix, all via Allegiant Air.

Elite began service in April between Denver International Airport and Branson, Mo., using 50-seat CRJ-200 aircraft branded as Branson AirExpress. Elite also operates flights between Branson and Houston, and between Newark, N.J., and Melbourne.