Put on a stylish sunglasses-scarf combo and start practicing saying “Ciao” into the mirror, Denver. Come springtime, there will be a nonstop flight from DIA to Rome.
Norwegian Air will launch seasonal service between DIA and the Italian capital on March 31, the low-cost international carrier announced Tuesday.
The flight will be flown on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with room for 344 passengers. One-way fares in Norwegian’s economy class seating will start at $249.90, taxes included, airline officials said. At the price, flyers are entitled to use the free, on-board WiFi (provided the plane has it), access to streaming in-flight movies and TV and one carry-on bag; everything else has additional fees attached. Premium class seats can be had for $999.90 one way.
Norwegian will start flying the route twice a week but ramp up to three times per week — Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays — between late April and early October. The first year’s flights will wrap up on Oct. 23, 2020, according to the airline.
“Rome is where we see the most opportunity for Denver,” Anders Lindström, Norwegian’s director of communications for North America, said last week.
The airline first landed at DIA in September 2017 when it launched nonstop flights to London, joining British Airways which been flying the route since 1998. United Airlines relaunched its London service in the spring of 2018. By then, Norwegian was preparing to launch nonstop flights to Paris, making it the first carrier to connect the Mile High City and France. It’s charting a new course again with Rome, Denver’s first destination in Italy.
“We are confident demand for travel between Denver and Rome will grow significantly as a result of this new service and know that travelers from the Rocky Mountain Region will be eager to take advantage of this nonstop flight and enjoy all that Rome and Italy have to offer,” DIA CEO Kim Day said in a news release.
Rome becomes DIA’s 28th international destination and Italy its 14th country. In a prepared statement Tuesday, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock focused on the potential economic windfall another nonstop flight to a European capital will bring the city. DIA officials estimate the route will generate $48 million in annual economic impact in Colorado and create 350 jobs.
“This nonstop connection to Italy further solidifies Denver’s strong position in the global economy as both a business and tourism hub,” Hancock said in the statement.
The Denver to Rome announcement coincides with Norwegian announcing nonstop flights from Chicago to Paris and Rome. All three will be of the summer seasonal variety.
The focus on summer demonstrates the carrier’s shifting focus from fast growth to sustainable, profit-driving service. When Norwegian launched its nonstop service between DIA and London it was year-round, but the carrier has scaled that back to seasonal. Using data pulled from travel technology firm Sabre Corp., Norwegian’s Lindström said that 78% of the travel demand from Denver to Rome comes in the April-October window.
Rome was DIA’s third-largest unserved European market, airport officials said in a news release. The two cities ahead of it are Amsterdam and Dublin.
Norwegian isn’t done exploring options at DIA, Lindström said.
“We do still see more opportunity for nonstop routes in 2021 and beyond,” he said.
