A Colorado company operating a plane involved in a spectacular midair collision Wednesday near Denver runs cargo flights out of the Grand Junction Regional Airport and ran twice-a-day passenger charter flights between Grand Junction and Denver until suspending them in March 2020 after the pandemic hit.
Englewood-based Key Lime Air also has had several significant airborne incidents in recent years, some of them fatal, and one in 2015 when a plane that took off in Rifle suffered engine failure and safely made an emergency landing in Grand Junction.
A plane flying for Key Lime Air collided with a single-engine aircraft Wednesday as the two were preparing to land at Centennial Airport near Denver. The second plane deployed a parachute to land, while the Key Lime Air plane landed after the pilot declared an engine emergency, apparently unaware the aircraft was almost split in half by the collision, according to media reports.
Those wishing for some time away from Coloradoâs Western Slope in favor of southern California sunshine â or vice versa â have a new, inexpensive alternative to make it happen.
On Sunday evening, a Boeing 737-800 serviced by Avelo Airlines landed at Grand Junction Regional Airport and made its way to its designated gate, flanked by water-spouting fire engines, dousing the plane in an act of celebration. When its passengers departed the aircraft, they were welcomed to the terminal by balloons, free cookies and greetings from airport Executive Director Angela Padalecki.
It was a fitting reception for the airlineâs official introduction to Grand Junction.