Here’s something you don’t see every day: a city council turning down an airport contract not because of money or logistics, but because of politics. Denver’s city council voted Monday to reject a lease agreement with Key Lime Air, a carrier that has operated at Denver International Airport for nearly two decades. The reason? Council members say the airline has ties to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.
What Happened in the Vote
The council voted against the lease, with one member voting in favor. The lease itself was remarkably minor: a 35-by-35-foot patch of concrete on the South Cargo apron where Key Lime Air would have exclusive use to store its ramp equipment. The annual cost? Just $1,356.
Key Lime Air, based out of Hunt Valley, Maryland, has been providing service at Denver International Airport since at least 2006, initially as a short-haul cargo carrier. More recently, the company has operated scheduled passenger service at DEN through its subsidiary Denver Air Connection, serving small regional airports like Alamosa, Pueblo, Cortez, and Telluride in Colorado, as well as destinations in surrounding states.
The ICE Connection
Multiple Denver council members raised concerns during the meeting that Key Lime Air has been involved in transporting people for Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation flights. It’s worth noting that The National News Desk couldn’t independently confirm these claims, so we’re in a bit of a gray area here in terms of documented proof. But the perception alone was apparently enough to sink the deal.
This isn’t the first time cities or organizations have pushed back against companies they believe are helping carry out federal immigration policies they disagree with. We’ve seen protests targeting other airlines and bus companies over the years. What’s different here is that it’s a city council making an official business decision based on those concerns.
The Practical Impact: Minimal
Here’s the key detail that puts this vote in perspective: the denial of the lease results in no change to Key Lime Air’s operations at DEN. The carrier will simply continue to store its ramp equipment in a nearby common-use portion of the South Cargo apron that is available to all carriers without exclusive storage areas—at no cost…