Denver Mayor Mike Johnston helped other city officials and private sector representatives celebrate the Denver International Airport’s gate opening for Denver’s first non-stop flight to Dublin with Aer Lingus, Ireland’s flag carrying airline. Johnston, along with nearly 50 people representing the Denver government, business and tourism sectors, headed to Dublin to engage with their Irish counterparts, airport staff said.

Aer Lingus is the 25th airline partner at Denver International Airport and will have four flights to Ireland’s capital city per week. Airport and city officials hope the delegation will build on what DIA Director of Communications Courtney Law calls a “strong existing foundation” between Colorado and Ireland.

Denver airport lands new European destination -- and Mike Johnston anticipates $65 million annual economic impact

“Over this past week, our delegation had the opportunity to strengthen commercial and cultural ties between Denver and Dublin,” Johnston said in a news release. “Our conversations with leaders across a variety of industry sectors in Ireland will directly support tourism and businesses in both cities, and we look forward to seeing the results from this partnership.”

First passengers to Dublin were fetted with a “celebratory sendoff” from Terminal A with Denver and airline officials, as well as representatives from Tourism Ireland, the Irish government and Jim Lyons, honorary consul of Ireland for Colorado, Friday. The plane was on the ground for less than two hours before returning to Dublin. 

“We are thrilled to commence nonstop flights from Denver to Dublin Ireland and to be the only European carrier to do so,” Aer Lingus Chief Customer Officer Susanne Carberry said in the release. “Aer Lingus also offers convenient connections from Dublin Airport, where passengers can easily connect to top UK and European destinations like London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and more. Passengers will experience Aer Lingus’ signature warmth and friendly Irish welcome onboard, in addition to excellent food and drink options, a wide range of in-flight entertainment options and a recently upgraded Wi-Fi system. Travelling back to the U.S., passengers can take advantage of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Preclearance program at Dublin Airport, expediting arrival in Denver.”

The non-stop flight to Dublin is the seventh such flight offered to European nations. Other destinations include London, Munich, Paris and Zurich. The airport also has non-stop service to Tokyo and recently announced a partnership with Turkish Airlines which will bring a non-stop flight to Istanbul — the airports longest yet.

Airport and city officials were unable to provide details on the cost of the trip to Denver taxpayers, saying they had not yet had time to finalize the numbers.

“Travel costs for four DEN staff members, the Mayor and COO Janel Forde are being paid for by DEN, while city agencies are covering the costs for their respective members of the delegation,” Law said.

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When announced in August of last year, Johnston predicted a $65 million annual impact to the state economy, supporting the creation of some 400 new jobs across the state generating more than $25 million in additional wages. Denver International Airport provides the state with a roughly $63 billion annual impact according to a Colorado Department of Transportation study from 2020.

Johnston was excited for the opportunity presented by expanding international service at DIA, despite a recent dip in total passenger encounters. For several years prior, DIA had been the third busiest airport in the world, well on its way to serve 100 million passengers, fulfilling the Vision100 plan. Now that trajectory may be in question.

DIA CEO Phil Washington, however, was not dissuaded.

“We thank Aer Lingus for their tremendous investment in the Denver market,” Washington said. “These new nonstop flights to Dublin directly support DEN’s Vision 100 pillar of expanding our global connections and further enhances Denver’s position as a global city.”