Travelers in Colorado trying to reach Utah from Denver International Airport will find a new option starting next week with the launch of Contour Airlines nonstop flights to Moab and Vernal, airport officials confirmed Thursday.
The inaugural flights scheduled to depart Tuesday and Wednesday will make Contour the 27th airline providing flights from DIA.
From Concourse C, Contour will fly 30-seat Embraer jets daily to Moab, departing at 5:40 p.m. (arriving at 7:15 p.m.). Flights to Vernal are scheduled five days a week, departing DIA at 4 p.m. (arriving at 5:25 p.m.) Return flights will leave Moab at 2:50 p.m. and Vernal at 1:40 p.m.
Previous SkyWest flights from DIA that carried passengers to Moab and Vernal ended 14 months ago.
The new flights increase DIA airlines’ offerings to 191 destinations across 46 U.S. states.
Contour Airlines officials call DIA “a new hub” for their efforts to link smaller communities. They’ve established a partnership with United Airlines. They allow a free checked bag and serve snacks and drinks. DIA chief executive Phil Washington has said increased connections to rural and mid-size cities are part of the airport’s growth strategy to serve 100 million travelers a year.
In May, United Airlines plans to fly the first nonstop flights from DIA to Rome, Italy, and Regina, Canada. DIA officials also noted new United flights this year to Peoria, Illinois; Buffalo, New York; Redding, California; and Wilmington, North Carolina.
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