United Airlines said today it will add five more direct flights a week to its Denver-Honolulu service Feb. 14, bringing daily nonstop service to the route. Honolulu-Denver service on
United to go daily in 2003
Star-Bulletin staff
United has been running two flights a week on the route, each Saturday and Sunday, since Feb. 2. It earlier announced direct Denver-Kona service, once a week on Saturdays, to start Dec. 14.
The airline has had a good response to the Denver-Honolulu service it has run so far, said Chris Bowers, United's senior vice president for marketing and sales.
The announcement from United headquarters in Chicago included a statement from Gov. Ben Cayetano, who called the added service "a significant demonstration of the commitment United has made to Hawaii."
"It also goes a long way in showing the confidence United has in the long-term stability of Hawaii's economy," Cayetano said.
United said Denver is a good place to make connections to the East Coast and the Midwest.
The weekday flights will use Boeing 767-300 aircraft with 244 passenger seats. On the weekends, United will continue to use larger Boeing 777 aircraft, with 348 seats. The Denver-Kona service will use Boeing 757s, seating 182.
The airline has promoted its direct Denver flights as an easy way for people to get from Hawaii to ski the Colorado slopes or for people to escape the Colorado winter and visit the islands.
The direct service also is good for students from Hawaii going to college in Colorado, United says.
