(26/05/23) United Airlines has unveiled plans to
significantly grow its position at Denver International Airport
(DEN), adding 35 flights,
six new routes, a dozen new gates and three lounges.
Starting this
summer, United will also double the total number of early morning
departures and late evening arrivals in and out of Denver, giving customers more flexibility and more options to stay away longer.
“Denver is one of the fastest
growing cities in the country and as the Mile High City’s most
flown airline, it’s essential that we maintain the most modern
infrastructure and fleet to support our local employees and
customers and deliver a great experience,” said United CEO Scott
Kirby. “Our expansion in Denver will further enable us to connect
our customers to destinations across the globe and revitalize our
presence at the airport with modern, customer friendly offerings.”
United Airlines Boeing 787-8 reg: N30913. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com
The airline will add
new non-stop flights to six destinations including four not served by any
other Denver airline: Dayton, OH; Greensboro, NC; Lexington, KY
and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The airline’s local
infrastructure improvements include 12 new gates set to open in
the A and B concourses by the middle of 2024 and giving United a
total of 90 gates, the most at Denver International Airport.
This expansion is part of the carrier’s nearly $1 billion
investment to further improve the travel experience at DEN and
also includes a new check-in lobby, new
user-friendly technology at gates, a new grab-n-go club lounge concept
called United Club Fly and the renovation and expansion of
United Club lounges.
This summer, United will also open
a new club lounge on the A Concourse and reopen its first of two revamped
lounges on the B Concourse. All three United Club locations will
feature two full levels of club space, and an upgraded design that reflects the Colorado region.
“It’s been an honor to
work with United during my time as Mayor of Denver. Together,
we’ve been able to extend our city’s reach across the world,” said
Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “United’s domestic and global
network supports DEN’s Vision 100 strategic plan to expand for 100
million passengers within the next decade, and I’m proud to see
them continue to grow their network at DEN and further connect our
community to more destinations.”
As a result of the airline’s
United Next plan, United will expand mainline flying out of Denver
to its highest levels in 20 years, while repurposing its regional
fleet to fly to smaller, less-served destinations. Overall, United
will offer more capacity from Denver than ever before, with over
60,000 departing seats per day.
In total, United will
operate 35 new flights in 2023 out of Denver and since 2018, has
added over 90 mainline departures per day.
This year,
United will fly new 737 MAX aircraft non-stop to San Juan, Puerto
Rico, beginning 29 October, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, beginning 4 November.
In addition to the new routes, United will use its new
MAX aircraft to increase service to popular destinations like
Miami, Austin, Boston and Atlanta.
As United grows its mainline
fleet, the airline will use Embraer 175 aircraft to connect Denver
with Asheville, NC; Dayton, OH; Greensboro, NC and Lexington, KY,
starting on 29 September.
United’s new morning flight bank
will offer Denver customers expanded flight options to many
popular destinations like Dallas/Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Los
Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego and Seattle. By
doubling the total number of early morning departures and late
evening arrivals, customers will have more flexibility and a
greater ability to maximize their stays.
This summer,
United will fly non-stop to more than 150 destinations from
Denver, with over 450 daily departures.
United is also the largest private employer in the
city of Denver, with nearly 10,000 Denver-based employees and
growing. In 2023, the airline plans to hire more than 2,300 people
– from ramp agents and customer service representatives, to
pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians and more.
Overall, in 2022, the airline hired 15,000 people
across its network and will add another 15,000 this year – on
track to add about 50,000 people by 2026.
