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Denverites will be able to fly direct to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines starting on June 11, Denver International Airport announced Thursday.
Turkish Airlines is the latest in a slew of airlines and routes DIA has added in the past few years as the airport continues its rapid growth.
In 2023, the airport added flights to Monterrey, Mexico, and Dublin, Ireland, while United continues to grow its flights out of Denver as well.
The new airline will be the 26th to operate out of DIA, and travelers can start booking flights now. The flights will run on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Fridays, with the airline adding Sundays in July.
Turkish Airlines has also been expanding quickly in the U.S.
Denver is now the 14th city served by the airline in the country.
“We are strongly committed to growing our presence in the U.S.,” said Fatih Durmaz, VP of Sales of the Americas for Turkish Airlines. “This reflects Turkish Airlines’ ambitious growth plans.”
“It connects us to the world,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston at a press conference on Friday. “Turkish Airlines is the most connected airline in the world.”
Johnston mentioned connections through Turkish Airlines to India, Africa and the Middle East. He also said the new airline will bring 350 jobs to Denver, with the additional hope that it will lead to business connections between Turkish companies and the city in the future.
Airport staff estimates that the partnership could bring more than $54 million in economic revenue to Colorado.
The Denver airport plans to continue adding routes and airlines in the coming years.
Airport CEO Phil Washington said booking has gone well with the newer flights, like those to Monterrey and Dublin. According to industry data provided by the airport, passenger demand between Denver and Istanbul has gone up by 50% since 2019.
Meanwhile, airport CEO Phil Washington said that DIA remains in talks about opening up flights to Amsterdam, Cairo, Ethiopia and other parts of Japan, though timelines on those potential routes are unclear.
“We are being very very ambitious in terms of increasing our global connections around the world,” Washington said.
