Low gas prices help people who are flying their own planes

Cheaper gas prices aren’t only helping people on the roads, but also who fly.

Pueblo Memorial Airport said it has seen an increase in pilots using personal and private planes.

In November 2014, more than 12,000 different aircraft took off from the airport; that’s up from a little over 11,000 at that same time in 2013.

Aviation Director Mark Lovin said that’s because the fuel used for planes is down more than 50 cents a gallon from this time last year.

“The expense of flying is significant, so by making it more affordable through lower fuel costs, the natural reaction is that I am going to fly my airplane more, which is a good thing for us,” he said.

The airport makes about $140,000 a year from a fuel tax, and with the cheaper gas prices it expects that number to go up.