Southwest Airlines is expected today to announce plans for more flights at Denver International Airport, at a downtown event that will feature company chief executive Gary Kelly and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.
The carrier started DIA service two years ago, and DIA has been the “fastest growing airport in our system,” Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said, noting the airline has gone from 13 daily nonstops to three cities at the start of service in January 2006 to the current 56 daily nonstops to 16 destinations.
Southwest has five gates on DIA’s C concourse and airport spokesman Chuck Cannon said DIA has additional gate capacity on C to accommodate more flights from Southwest or other carriers. DIA also is designing a 10-gate expansion of the C concourse.
Southwest is holding its national marketing conference in Denver today, and 300 company employees plan to fan out in downtown Denver and promote the airline, King said.
Southwest, the largest low-fare carrier, competes in Denver with United Airlines’ Ted unit and Frontier.
“We will compete vigorously, . . . with a stronger route network, vast frequent-flier program and overall better seating choices,” United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said in response to the prospect of Southwest’s expansion.
