United Airlines and Denver International Airport announced that the company will add eight new routes to/from DEN, one of its major U.S. bases. The flights will start in 2025 and some will be offered during summer and others year-round.
According to the press release published by Denver Airport, United will launch six domestic routes, one to Canada and another to Europe. Buffalo, Pensacola, North Bend, Peoria, Redding and Wilmington are in the US sector, and Regina and Rome in the international segment.
Among the eight new services, the main highlight is United Airlines’ commencement of flights to the Italian capital, which will begin on May 1st, 2025. The airline will operate three times weekly between Denver and Fiumicino Airport by 257-passenger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, configured with 48 United Polaris® business class seats, 21 United® Premium Plus, 39 United Economy Plus® and 140 United Economy®.
New routes
| Destination | Launch | Freq. | Aircraft (seats) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria (PIA) | March 30th, 2025 | 7 | Embraer 175 (70/76) |
| Regina (YQR) | May 15th, 2025 | 7 | CRJ-200 (50) |
| Buffalo (BUF) | May 22nd, 2025 | 7 | Boeing 737-800 (166) |
| North Bend (OTH) | May 22nd, 2025 | 7 | Embraer 175 (70/76) |
| Pensacola (PNS) | May 22nd, 2025 | 7 | Boeing 737-800 (166) |
| Redding (RDD) | May 22nd, 2025 | 7 | Embraer 175 (70/76) |
| Rome (FCO) | May 23rd, 2025 | 3 | Boeing 787-9 (257) |
| Wilmington (ILM) | May 24th, 2025 | 1 | Embraer 175 (70/76) |
Buffalo, Peoria, Redding and Regina will be conducted year-round and the remainder will operate seasonally. Wilmington will end on August 16th, 2025, Pensacola on August 18th, 2025, Rome on September 24th, 2025 and North Bend on October 30th, 2025.
“I am elated to announce Denver’s first nonstop flight to Rome, a destination Denverites have craved for quite some time,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said. “This will be a direct link between our vibrant city and Italy, one of the most iconic destinations in the world. United’s new nonstop route will both strengthen our global connections and open a wealth of opportunities for tourism, business and cultural exchange.”
In addition to first-ever service between Denver and Rome, Redding and Wilmington ILM (North Carolina) will be performed for the first time on a regular basis from DEN. By summer 2025, Denver Airport will reach 189 domestic scheduled destinations between 46 U.S. states and one U.S. territory.
On the international side, the US city will have 33 destinations between 18 different countries, the highest number in Denver Airport’s history. This includes nine destinations in eight European countries, and seven destinations in Canada. Asia and Latin America are also on the schedule, with three and four destinations respectively, at the time of publication.
A popular market
Rome is Denver’s longest unserved international market in terms of passenger demand. Over the past year, more than 60,000 people traveled between Denver and the Italian capital, which would be about 160 passengers per day. Demand increased by 30% between the two cities throughout 2023, and Italy ranks as the fourth most popular international country from DEN behind Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“We could not be happier about today’s announcement by our partner United Airlines as they continue to invest in Denver with the addition of a variety of strategic destinations, including Rome, the top unserved international destination from DEN,” commented Phil Washington, Denver International Airport CEO. “This expansion strengthens Denver’s position as a global hub and provides our community with even greater connectivity to the world. It’s also a major focus of our Vision 100 pillar of Expanding our Global Connections as we grow to 100 million passengers and beyond.”
Denver International Airport
In terms of statistics, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco were the busiest domestic routes from Denver during this year, going from 1,244,000 to 900,000 passengers. Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United are the main airlines operating domestic flights in DEN.
The international sector is dominated by Mexico and Canada in the Americas, and Germany and the UK in Europe. Cancún is the busiest international route, with more than 600,000 passengers, followed closely by Frankfurt with almost 596,000 passengers. London Heathrow, Vancouver, Toronto, San José del Cabo, Munich, Calgary, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta complete the top 10.
Denver Airport was inaugurated in 1995. Until then, every year surpassed 31 million passengers, highlighting nearly 78 million passengers, the airport’s all-time record, in 2023.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a drastic decline in passenger traffic, 2020 ended with 34 million passengers, finishing only ahead of 1995 and 1996, which had 31 million and 32 million, respectively.
United Airlines has 39% of Denver Airport’s market share, with more than 27 million passengers transported this year. In second place is Southwest, holding 21 million and 31% of the share, and Frontier in third place with almost 7 million and 10% of the market.
Between United and United Express, the airline has around 150 regular destinations from/to Denver Airport.
Regarding aircraft, United has one of the largest and most important fleets worldwide, exceeding 1,400 jets between United Airlines and its subsidiaries, as well as aircraft owned by other airlines which operate for United.
| Aircraft | Total | Average age | Airline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 81 | 23 years | United Airlines |
| Airbus A320-200 | 79 | 25.5 years | United Airlines |
| Airbus A321-271NX | 27 | 0.5 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 737-700 | 40 | 26 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 737-800 | 141 | 21 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 737-900 | 12 | 23 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 737-900ER | 136 | 12 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 107 | 2.5 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 737 MAX 9 | 85 | 3 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 757-200 | 40 | 28 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 757-300 | 21 | 22.5 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 767-300(ER) | 37 | 29 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 767-400(ER) | 16 | 23 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 777-200(ER) | 74 | 25.5 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 777-300(ER) | 22 | 7 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | 12 | 11.5 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner | 41 | 7 years | United Airlines |
| Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner | 21 | 4.5 years | United Airlines |
| CRJ-200 | 78 | 22 years | Skywest Airlines |
| CRJ-550 | 7 | 20 years | GoJet/Skywest |
| CRJ-700 | 69 | 19 years | GoJet/Skywest |
| Embraer 145 | 64 | 20.5 years | CommuteAir |
| Embraer 170 | 17 | 19.5 years | Republic Airlines |
| Embraer 175 | 224 | 7.5 years | Mesa Airlines /// Republic Airlines /// Skywest |
In 2023, United Airlines planned to add 80 Boeing 737 MAX 10s during 2024, 71 in 2025 and 126 from 2025 onwards. The order consisted of 277 737 MAX 10s.
Due to the delay of the 737-10 aircraft certification and continued supply chain issues, the airline withdrew the Boeing 737 MAX 10 from its fleet strategy for the coming years in early 2024, converting some orders to Boeing 737 MAX 9 and closing deals with others lessors the arrival of new Airbus A321neo.
At the time of publication, in 2025, United intends to incorporate 24 Airbus A321neo, 1 Airbus A321XLR, 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8, 15 Boeing 737 MAX 9 and 18 Boeing 787s to its fleet.
Other articles we have published
- Allegiant announces 44 new routes for 2025 (November 29th)
- Etihad unveils 10 new routes in one day (December 6th)
- Seoul Man: SAS expands its Asian network (December 13th)
- Alaska is taking Hawaiian’s A330s to Asia (December 17th)
- JetBlue bets on Boston for summer 2025 (December 20th)
Cover photo: Roger M – JetPhotos (Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport – USA – Texas)
