A June Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety memo identified Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) as having more incidents than any other airport in the nation.
The document, reported by CBS Colorado, stated that the Denver metro area airport “currently leads the National Airspace System (NAS) in the number of Potentially Significant Events (PSEs), which include both runway incursions and airborne safety incidents.”
Despite its much smaller size compared to Denver International Airport, the FAA cited RMMA’s growth as a contributing factor for addressing operations and safety issues.
The FAA introduced operational changes effective June 16, 2025, implementing structured ground traffic flows in coordination with local flight schools and airport users. An FAA spokesperson told CBS Colorado that the changes were designed “to enhance air traffic safety and efficiency.”
The announcement followed a fatal crash in May near RMMA and was met with surprise by airport officials, who said they were not consulted in advance. Even so, airport officials emphasized that safety improvement is the top priority.
“Any change made to improve safety is positive for our community,” RMMA Public Affairs and Communications Specialist Sydny Boyd told CBS Colorado.
Is it the airport, or the pilots causing these incidents? I got my ticket at an FBO in Colorado, just east of the rockies. Plastered all over that FBO were posters, warning us to get additional training for mountain flying. If said pilots didn’t heed those warnings, don’t blame the airport.
I flew into that airport in October 2020 and it was busy as heck due to all the training activity. I was held outside the Delta for a little while before being cleared in for landing. The controller was great – helpful when I needed some extra assistance because I didn’t know the local landmarks. Given how busy it was back then when things were still pretty slow due to the pandemic, I can easily imagine that it’s extremely hectic now.