KAILUA-KONA — United Airlines will begin daily summer service between Denver, Colorado, and Kona starting in June.
The announcement came as part of a slate of new services announced Monday by the airline.
The new service will fly to and from Kona daily starting June 8, with the capacity to carry 169 passengers in each direction, said Maddie King of United Airlines. That’s as many as 1,183 visitors each week.
That’s good news for the island, said Kirstin Kahaloa, executive director of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce.
“Any time we have new routes direct into Kona, it’s a benefit to our island and island economy,” she said Tuesday.
The flight, King said, will leave Denver at 11:45 a.m. and arrive in Kona at 3:07 p.m. The flight will then depart at 8 p.m. that same day and arrive back in Denver at 6:43 the following morning.
This isn’t the first time the airline has offered summer service between Denver and Kona, King said. However, she noted, the airline has previously only provided flights on Saturdays.
“This route always performs well, especially during winter and spring break seasons,” she said. “With summer as our busiest travel season, we look forward to offering this route daily for customers, and we expect it to perform very well.”
Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau, said they look forward to the increased service, saying daily flights will support increased demand from customers in the Midwest and East Coast markets.
“We’re excited that our friends in the Mile High City will have this great option for nonstop travel to experience the remarkable landscapes, rich culture and outdoor adventures that the island of Hawaii has to offer,” said Birch. “We also foresee this new route as having a positive impact on our local economy.”
In addition to directly supporting the hospitality industry, Kahaloa said increased flights have an across-the-board effect in boosting business here.
“Visitors that are here have to spend money when they’re here,” she said. That extends past hotels and restaurants to also cover activities, attractions and retailers. “It kinda runs the gamut of support through the economy.”