United Airlines has announced daily nonstop flight service from Redmond to Denver will be offered year-round. This is great news for tourism in our region. "We really see Denver not as the destination but really as just the one-stop service that opens up the entire East Coast" said Alana Audette, the President and CEO of Central Oregon Visitors Association. "All of the major metro areas east of Denver have nonstop service to Denver."
Tourism is estimated to have a $571 million annual economic impact on the region, according to COVA research, and air service plays a vital role in funneling in much of that business.
Denver International, the nation’s sixth-busiest airport, is one of seven daily destinations from Redmond Airport, joining Eugene (Horizon Air, effective in November), Los Angeles (Horizon), Portland (Horizon and United), Seattle (Horizon), Salt Lake City (Delta Air Lines) and San Francisco (United).
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air flies twice weekly to Las Vegas and the Phoenix area.
Flying a 50-seat regional jet operated by SkyWest Airlines, travelers can fly from Redmond to Denver at 11 a.m. and return from Denver at 5 p.m. daily.
But, most importantly, Denver represents the eastern-most airport a traveler can reach nonstop from Redmond.
“It’s a big airport and it gets you lots of different places eastward-bound, southeast, northeast and even on to international destinations,” said Roger Lee, the executive director of Economic Development for Central Oregon. “It’s one of the things that we lacked in this area for a long time. About four years (when Delta Air Lines began offering service to Salt Lake City) is all we’ve had eastern service in this region. Before that, we had to fly west in order to fly east,” he added.
At a time when many airlines are cutting back, Redmond has actually grabbed more seats with the addition of the Denver flight and United’s decision earlier this year to fly a 50-seat regional jet into San Francisco rather than a smaller propeller plane.
“Being able to open up the Denver service at a time when everything else is being cut back, I think, speaks volumes about Central Oregon and our potential for coming out of this recession and the airlines being able to see the long-term viability of Central Oregon,” Audette said.
