ITTN’s Shane Cullen attended the Dublin to Denver inaugural delegation reception and dinner at The Banking Hall, College Street in Dublin. Visit Denver has a delegation from Denver including Andrea Blankenship, Director of International Tourism at Colorado Tourism Office and Flavia Light, Vice President of Tourism at Visit Denver.
Aer Lingus Launches Dublin – Denver Direct Route
Aer Lingus launches new nonstop flights between Denver International Airport (DEN) and Dublin Airport (DUB) today, 17 May 2024. This will be the first-ever service by Aer Lingus to Denver. Aer Lingus will become the 24th airline to serve DEN and the service will operate four days per week – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The flight will connect Irish travellers to the creative city and act as a gateway to the Rocky Mountains.
Denver Airport – “We Can’t Wait for Aer Lingus to Arrive”
Denver Airport celebrates its fiftieth anniversary next year, in 2025. This airport has a clear vision and a sizeable investment to ensure its continued growth aided by its location.
It has one of the largest capital improvement programs in America, a 10-year capital improvement program that is close to a billion dollars. They have opened a staggering 39 new gates at the airport with a planned 7th runway in the works. In fact, this is one of the busiest airports in the world and, as Phil Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport, said at the reception, “we can’t wait for Aer Lingus to arrive”.
Interestingly, in terms of national airspace, Denver is geographically located in the middle of the United States. The airport is just two hours from the West Coast and 3 hours from the East Coast. They see themselves as the new Silk Road – in terms of cultural exchange, in terms of training, in terms of knowledge transfer. Their vision is to be a global leader in aviation, a centre of excellence. Their partnership with Aer Lingus is part of this plan.
A Long Love Affair – Dublin & Denver
Reid Moody (Chief Strategy & Planning Officer, Aer Lingus) likened the route between Dublin and Denver to a long romance. This one dates as far back as 2017 so it has been a long time coming. He explained that even without a direct service, a hundred people travel between Denver and Dublin each way, every day. The direct service has huge potential. Furthermore, now there is “the ability for all of that natural area in Colorado to connect to Dublin and onward into Europe. The opportunities for Ireland – Denver or Colorado – Ireland and Colorado and the rest of Europe will increase exponentially with the direct service”.
Mr Moody explained that Aer Lingus will have three million people who are flying across the Atlantic. He shared that Aer Lingus has an ambitious aim to double that in the next five or six years.
“Travel – It Gives Us a More Connected World”
President & CEO of Visit Denver, Richard Schaf, explained “We know travel, it gives us a small and more connected world. And we also know that it brings people together. We get to learn, we get to collaborate…
It’s not just about economic opportunities, it’s about cultural opportunities between Colorado and Ireland too, for many years to come. And economic opportunities are about relationship building, it’s a people business.”
Mike Johnson, Mayor of Denver, shared his ancestral history with both sides of his family having emigrated to the United States from Ireland. Clearly passionate about his Irish heritage, he views this link with Ireland as supporting Denver’s goal to be one of the strongest economic cities in the United States. He views the country of Ireland as a top growth market for trade and investment opportunities in Denver with significant opportunities for increased collaboration, bilateral exchange, and communication as a result of this new service.
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