In the world of on-again, off-again flights at Durango-La Plata County Airport, Frontier Airlines has announced it will restore nonstop service to Las Vegas and forego a weekly flight to Dallas-Fort Worth.
The twice-weekly flights between Durango and Las Vegas will return June 9, with departures on Thursdays and Sundays.
“We are excited that Frontier Airlines will be restoring flights to Las Vegas this summer,” said Aviation Director Tony Vicari, in a news release from the city of Durango. “Our passengers were disappointed when the Las Vegas route was removed in March, so I am confident that restored service to this popular destination will be well-received by locals and visitors alike.”
Frontier Airlines offered twice-weekly flights between Durango and Las Vegas from June until March 5. The airline unexpectedly announced in February it was canceling the flight. At the time, Vicari said demand wasn’t robust enough to support the Las Vegas flights.
In an interview Tuesday, Vicari said Frontier has since re-evaluated the flight and determined demand will be sufficient to support the twice-weekly flight between Durango and Las Vegas. He said there are a number of proprietary data points and indicators that help inform airlines about such decisions, but he noted passenger numbers were going up earlier this year shortly before Frontier ended the flights.
Also, airlines are dealing with higher fuel prices, he said, and airlines can charge a premium for shorter flights without having to use as much fuel as is required on the longer flights.
Frontier previously announced it would offer nonstop Saturday service between Durango and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport beginning May 28, but that route has been removed from Frontier’s schedule.
“Airlines routinely adjust their network strategy in response to passenger demand, and we will work closely with our partner in Frontier Airlines as they continue to offer low fares and nonstop flights from Durango,” Vicari said in the news release. “The restoration of Las Vegas service by Frontier Airlines further enhances the route network available for travelers in Southwest Colorado and the Four Corners.”
Frontier Airlines also announced it will resume service from Durango to Denver two days per week, with departures on Thursday and Sunday.
The Denver and Las Vegas flights will be serviced by a 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft.
“We are delighted to continue offering our ultra-low fares and friendly service to customers on the Western Slope in our home state of Colorado,” said Jennifer de la Cruz, a spokeswoman for Frontier Airlines, in a release from the city.
Travelers with existing reservations for nonstop DRO-DFW service on Frontier can rebook online or call (801) 401-9000 for help with refunds or rebooking.
shane@durangoherald.com
