Evacuations at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport as Law Enforcement Responds to An “Incident”

[UPDATED: September 23, 2026, 4:10 p.m.]

At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, several staff members of the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport received an email threat regarding airport property, according to a Pitkin County press release. 

Airport personnel were assisted by the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Aspen Police Department, Aspen Ambulance District, Aspen Airport Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting, and Snowmass Village Police Department in evacuating travelers and staff away from the premises. Law enforcement safely evacuated travelers and staff from the airport terminal and surrounding premises. Those evacuated included approximately 55 passengers who remained at the airport, 40 airline employees, as well as TSA personnel, rental car employees, Jedediah’s employees, and Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) staff. Law enforcement personnel then conducted a systematic check of the interior and exterior of the airport before clearing the area.

Colorado Highway 82 remained open to vehicle traffic in both the upvalley and downvalley directions throughout the response.

“Safety is our number one priority, and throughout this incident our focus was on allowing law enforcement and emergency personnel the space they needed to safely respond,” Incident Commander Pitkin County Sheriff Justin Thompson said. “We appreciate the patience and cooperation of travelers and our community while the response was underway.”

“Today’s response demonstrates the strong coordination among our local law enforcement agencies, first responders and airport partners,” Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione said. “Our teams train and prepare to work together during situations like this, and that coordination allows us to respond effectively while keeping the safety of our community, airport personnel and the traveling public at the forefront.”

Travelers should continue to contact their individual airlines directly for the most current flight information, including potential delays or schedule changes resulting from the temporary closure. For the latest information and official updates, community members are encouraged to follow Pitkin County and the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport through PitkinAlert, social media, and official County and airport websites.

[UPDATE: September 22, 2026, 4:36 p.m.]

Aspen Airport has announced that the airport has reopened after law enforcement cleared the area. Pitkin County posted the following on its website:

“September 22, 2026 4:36 PM

AIRPORT UPDATE: The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport terminal has reopened after law enforcement cleared the area.

AIRPORT UPDATE: The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport terminal has reopened after law enforcement cleared the area. The previous request to avoid the airport has been lifted.”

Original story below:

Local authorities in Colorado are warning the public to stay away from the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport until further notice. A Federal Aviation Administration announcement Tuesday afternoon said law enforcement is responding to an incident at the airport, but it did not say what the incident was. The FAA warned the public not to travel to the airport and asked that they avoid the surrounding area. They asked travelers to check with their air carriers for flight information. Colorado 82 remains open in both directions, but travelers are being asked to avoid the airport as law enforcement responds. The airport is one of the busiest ski town airports in the country.

The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport posted on its website: 

ASE ALERT: Law enforcement is responding to an incident at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Do not travel to the airport at this time

Law enforcement is responding to an incident at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.
Please stay away from the airport and surrounding area until further notice. Do not travel to the airport at this time.
Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.

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An Everbridge alert was sent just after 2:30 p.m. MT, warning people to avoid the airport. No details on the incident were provided. “We’ve asked folks to stay away from the airport and the surrounding area until further notice,” Kelsey Petersen, a spokesperson for the airport, said. Travelers can get updated flight information through their airlines.

The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport has confirmed that evacuations are occurring. Law enforcement is currently responding to an incident at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport as of 2:33 p.m. A PitkinAlert is asking everyone to stay away from the airport and the surrounding area until further notice. “Do not travel to the airport at this time,” the alert states.

The Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field (ASE) is a small, single-runway airport located in the Roaring Fork Valley just 2.5 miles northwest of the resort town of Aspen, Colorado. It has associated Class Delta airspace and is surrounded by rapidly rising terrain from the northeast through the southwest. ASE is a high-altitude airport with a field elevation of almost 8000 feet. A high density altitude will affect aircraft performance all year round but especially in the summer.

Walter Paepcke and John Spachner founded the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport as a privately owned, public-use gravel landing strip in 1946. The primary user of the airport at the time was the Aspen Institute, the forerunner to Aspen Airways. The original facility consisted of a log cabin terminal building and a gravel runway. In 1956, Aspen Airport Corporation officially deeded the Airport to Pitkin County, making it a publicly owned, public-use airport, one of the requirements for federal participation in airport development.

This is an evolving story which SnowBrains aims to update as more information becomes available.