The first direct flights between Denver and Monterrey, Mexico, began today at Denver International Airport.
The flights, operated by Viva Aerobus, are the latest in a string of planned airline expansions at the fast-growing airport.
Also on Thursday, United Airlines announced that it will be adding 40 flights out of Denver this summer as part of its massive ongoing expansion at DIA.
Those new flights will include expanded service to Vail, Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho; Kalispell/Glacier and Bozeman, Montana; and Fairbanks, Alaska. United is also resuming nonstop flights to Winnipeg, Canada, for the first time since 2020, and increasing service to Edmonton and Montreal, Canada.
Some of the flights will have a seasonal summer focus, anticipating increased travel to National Parks and other outdoor recreation locations across the country.
"We know people want to get outdoors this summer and United is making it easier than ever to get to fun destinations across North America," said Patrick Quayle, United's Senior Vice President of Network Planning and Alliances, in a statement Thursday. "From adding non-stop service to places previously only reachable through multiple connections to leveraging our relationships with airline partners like Air Canada, we're giving customers lots of options to unlock new experiences."
Even more new flights out of Denver are on the way.
On Tuesday, DIA announced that it is adding flights to Providence, Rhode Island, run through Breeze Airways, another budget airline. The Rhode Island flights will begin on May 16 and start at $99 for a one-way ticket. They will run on Thursdays and Sundays starting in May, and add Wednesdays and Saturdays in June.
"We are excited to welcome Breeze to the DEN airline family," said airport CEO Phil Washington in a statement Tuesday. "Providing additional options for travel will stimulate new demand and enhance the experience we are able to offer to DEN's growing passenger base."
Direct flights between Denver and Ireland will also begin in May on the budget airline Aer Lingus. Those flights start at $699 for a round-trip ticket, but will ultimately depend on the time of year and demand.
Long-term, DIA is likely to continue adding flights at the airport. In October, Washington said the airport was in talks with Ethiopian Airlines about direct flights to Africa.
The new flights are all part of planned expansions at the fast-growing airport.
DIA is projected to reach 100 million passengers annually in 2027, five years ahead of schedule. That plan comes with major renovations at the airport projected to wrap that same year. As part of that project, the airport is opening its brand new West security checkpoint with upgraded technology next week.
But long-term expansion plans are even bigger. United recently bought 113 acres of land near the airport and announced plans to add 12 gates and thousands of jobs. And in October, Washington said he projects the airport will reach 120 million passengers by 2045. He said DIA plans to expand Jeppesen Terminal, build new concourses and add 100 new gates in the next two decades.
