Southwest Airlines announced Thursday that in April 2023 it will begin offering Saturday-only nonstop flights from Bellingham International Airport (BLI) to Denver International Airport (DEN), on a seasonal basis.
Flights will depart from BLI at 11:40 a.m. on Saturdays and land in DEN at 3:15 p.m. Return flights will depart from DEN at 10:35 p.m. and arrive in BLI at 12:25 a.m. Tickets are available for purchase on the Southwest Airlines website.
“There is strong demand for eastbound flights from travelers who like to avoid the traffic and crowds at major airports in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.,” Port Commission President Bobby Briscoe said in a release. “BLI offers one of the best travel experiences in the nation and we are thrilled Southwest is expanding its service destinations.”
A United Airlines nonstop flight from Paine Field in Everett to Denver was discontinued in October 2021, marking the end of nonstop service to DEN north of Seattle, but south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Nonstop flights to Denver are offered from the Vancouver International Airport.
Between 2012 and 2014, BLI had direct service to DEN by Frontier, Port Public Affairs Administrator Mike Hogan said in an email. Allegiant also had a seasonal direct to DEN in 2017, but there has been no direct service since.
Adding flights out of Bellingham supports local businesses and offers residents access to cultural and sporting events in Denver, a location with similar interests as Bellingham such as skiing, hiking, micro-breweries and more, Hogan said.
“A 2018 Aviation Economic Impact Study administered by the Washington Department of Transportation identified Bellingham International Airport as generating $471.5 million in economic benefit,” he said in an email.
Sunil Harman, director of aviation for the Port of Bellingham, previously stated BLI was “very much in the mix” for new services, such as nonstop flights, next year.
The Southwest fight will offer seating for 175 passengers on a Boeing 737-800. The airline owns the largest fleet of Washington-built Boeing 737 jets.
BLI also offers nonstop flights to Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Oakland, Palm Springs and San Diego through Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
This story was updated at 11:55 a.m. Oct. 28 to include additional information from Port of Bellingham Public Affairs Administrator Mike Hogan.
