Denver Air Connection Continues to Expand

The carrier continues to grow, now reaching 19 destinations between Phoenix and Atlanta.

A Denver Air Connection Embraer E145 at Chicago O’Hare (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

[ Routes ]September 23, 2024 11:10 am ET

By Joey Gerardi

Denver Air Connection, or DAC for short, has been modestly growing over the past couple of years, now having 19 destinations and 18 routes.

In early August, DAC was chosen for the EAS contract in Jackson, Tenn., and subsequently contracted to serve Atlanta, both of which are new destinations for the carrier. That contract is scheduled to start on December 1, 2024 and will run for four years until November 30, 2028.

Just a few days ago on September 17, the airport in Jackson asked for an alternate service pattern due to popular demand, requesting DAC to fly a route to Chicago as well as Atlanta. Both routes are slated to start on the same day. This will also enable passengers to fly between Atlanta and Chicago O’Hare on DAC, with a short connection in Jackson.

In the middle of August 2024, the carrier announced service to Dubuque, Iowa, from Chicago O’Hare, which will start on November 14, 2024 and will operate daily with the carrier’s 50-seat Embraer jets. This Iowan city will be its second non-EAS contract route after Telluride, Colo., and the company’s first city in the state of Iowa.

And a few days ago, on September 19, 2024, the airline was awarded the EAS contract for the Michigan community of Muskegon. Currently, Muskegon is served by Southern Airways Express on board its nine-seat Cessna 208 from Chicago three to six times a day depending on the season.

Muskegon County Airport out of the left side of the plane just before landing (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

DAC’s service to Muskegon will begin on November 1, 2024, and the contract is going to run for the next four years, until October 31, 2028. Flights from Muskegon on DAC will operate on its 50-seat Embraer E145 aircraft from Chicago O’Hare with 12-weekly flights. Muskegon to Chicago will also become the airline’s shortest flight by distance at only 118 miles.

These new additions will bring the carrier’s Chicago O’Hare operations up to five destinations and will make it the airline’s second busiest airport after its home in Denver. Atlanta and Muskegon are also the airline’s first two destinations in the Eastern Time Zone.

With the five new routes between the four destinations, the airline will serve 18 routes across its network by December 1 which does not include Kearney, Neb. as the carrier lost that EAS contract.

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Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He specializes in topics surrounding the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. He graduated from WMU with a degree in Aviation Management and Operations in 2022 and now works for a major airline.

Author

Joey Gerardi

Joe has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit. He’s currently enrolled at Western Michigan University earning a degree in Aviation Management and Operations.
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