City and state officials this week are celebrating a flurry of new flights coming to Denver International Airport, connecting the Mile High City with destinations ranging from Paris to Grand Junction.

The headline announcement came Thursday morning when Air France unrelieved its forthcoming non-stop service to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. The flights are scheduled to start July 2 with service running three days a week, according to a press release from airport officials.

It’s Air France’s first service out of DIA. Tickets are already for sale.

“We know people everywhere are eager to travel safely, and Air France is just as eager to provide them the opportunity to travel the world,” Stéphane Ormand, a U.S.-based executive with the airline, said in a statement.  “We look forward to connecting Denver to our global network and providing passengers the opportunity to benefit from our commitment to exceptional service and the health and safety of everyone on board.”

Mayor Michael Hancock and DIA CEO Kim Day welcomed the airport’s latest direct connection with Europe as a harbinger of economic recovery from the pandemic. DIA passenger traffic was decimated by COVID-19 last year. Still, officials with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines highlighted Denver as a bright spot in their networks with travelers drawn to the outdoors amid health restrictions.

“The establishment by Air France of a brand-new transatlantic route during the most challenging time in aviation history is a remarkable endorsement of the resiliency of demand for travel to Denver,” Day said in a statement.

Early this week, now publicly traded Denver carrier Frontier Airlines also announced new flights to and from DIA. The four new routes, all starting in June, will connect Denver with Anchorage, Ala. Kalispell, Mont. and two cities sure to be familiar to Coloradandans: Durango and Grand Junction.

The Durango and Grand Junction flights feature fares starting at $19, according to a news release. With the new flights folded in, Frontier now offers non-stop service connecting DIA to 85 places.

“Making it easy and affordable for locals to travel within the state between Denver and Durango and Grand Junction is a big win for Coloradans,” Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in a statement. “At the same time, providing convenient options for visitors to easily move around the state supports our tourism industry, whether folks want to sightsee, enjoy some Colorado adventure or work remote with a beautiful view.”

The new Colorado routes got public support from Gov. Jared Polis. He noted Frontier is also providing service connecting Durango with Las Vegas.

“These routes will make it easier for Colorado residents to take advantage of Frontier’s low-cost international flight network and help tourists from across the country get to western and southwestern Colorado,” Polis said in a statement.

Frontier is pushing forward on growth after closing its $570 million initial public offering last week.

Source: Read Full Article