(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares:
That the health, safety, and welfare of the people of this state are dependent upon thecontinued existence and expansion of intrastate air service in this state;
That the recent opening of the Denver International Airport (DIA) has permanentlychanged intrastate air travel in Colorado since the increased costs of operating out of DIA has forced air carriers to drop or significantly reduce service on their less profitable intrastate routes;
That limited and undependable intrastate air service has adversely impacted the economic well-being of the state through underutilization of DIA as a regional transportation hub, requiring travelers to make a greater investment in travel time and costs, and creating more obstacles to conducting business efficiently;
That it is vital to the continued development of economic opportunity in this state,and especially on the western slope of the state, that the state provide incentives to air carriers that provide intrastate air services; and
That the public purpose to be served by the passage of this article outweighs all otherindividual interests.
Source: L. 96: Entire article added, p. 961, § 1, effective May 23.