DIA & Lufthansa Announce New Nonstop Service To Munich
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver city and airport officials joined Lufthansa Airlines leaders Thursday morning to announce new nonstop service between Denver and Munich, Germany.
Lufthansa's first Denver-Munich flight takes off on May 11, 2016 and will be operated by an Airbus A330-300 five times per week.
The Denver-Munich service brings the total number of nonstop destination offerings at Denver International Airport to 21.
The additional service is expected to draw an additional 19,000 visitors to Colorado in its first year, and at least 23,000 each subsequent year, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced, stimulating tourism and business between the U.S. and Germany.
"This is an exciting day for Denver," Hancock said. "Denver is on the move."
Hancock says every new nonstop, international flight generates economic activity for both the city and state. He says Lufthansa's Munich service is estimated to generate more than 700 jobs and $24 million in new wages for Colorado and boost statewide economic output by more than $80 million annually. Those numbers are projections, however, and take into consideration Lufthansa's own expansion to accommodate the additional flight, which is expected to require the hiring of only few new employees; and the broader effect that added visitors could have on job creation in the state's tourism and business sectors.
Visit Denver Vice President of Tourism Jayne Buck applauded the announcement. Buck says the new flight helps tourism officials reach not only the German market, where people are now interested in Colorado for more than its ski destinations, but also in nearby Italy, where tourists rely heavily on Lufthansa service.
"You're not a destination unless people can get here," Buck said.
Business leaders added that representatives from Colorado's clean technology, medical device and beer industries all expressed interest in the Denver-Munich service. Specifically, Hancock says craft brewers inquired about securing seats on the inaugural flight.
Round-trip fares will start at $980, according to the airline, and have a capacity of 236 seats per flight.
Lufthansa has been operating flights out of DIA since 2001.
Lauren DiSpirito is CBS4's Northern Newsroom reporter. Follow her on Twitter @CBS4Lauren. Share your story ideas with her here.