Tony Vicari, Aviation Director for the Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) just announced today that Frontier Airlines will be establishing year-round nonstop service between Durango and Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (LAS), and seasonal nonstop service to Denver International Airport (DEN). Service to Denver will start June 4, 2021, and service to Las Vegas will start June 11, 2021.
Flights to Las Vegas will be operated two days per week year-round, with departures on Monday and Friday. Flights to Denver will be operated four days per week during an initial summer seasonal period, with departures on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The new Frontier service will utilize 150-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.
The added service will provide passengers at DRO with a fifth year-round nonstop destination (six over this summer with previously announced DRO-LAX service) and additional competition on the popular Denver route, opening up more choices for our community, improving access for visitors, and having a strong impact on our regional economy as we continue to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontier’s ultra-low-cost air service model and a strong focus on leisure traffic will bring an entirely new dynamic to the Durango market.
This announcement is extremely positive news as we continue to see the pandemic recovery at DRO vastly outperform the recovery seen at airports nationwide. The Frontier news, coupled with the recent addition of Delta Air Lines service, means that the 2021 summer seat capacity will exceed 2019 levels. We are emerging from the pandemic with two additional airlines, two additional nonstop destinations, more airline competition, and a fantastic opportunity to jumpstart the post-pandemic economic recovery in our region.
One final important note. The terminal facilities at DRO have not grown despite these recent announcements of added service and will be pressured by the significant increase in available airline capacity. We will need the community’s patience, understanding, and most importantly an early arrival to the airport to ensure that we can successfully manage this influx of air service at DRO.
Please feel free to share this announcement with others in the Durango and Four Corners area.
