Travel between Denver International Airport and foreign destinations has recovered quickly in recent months after lagging domestic traffic during much of the pandemic.
DIA announced this week that twice-weekly summer seasonal flights to Zurich, Switzerland, had returned on Edelweiss Air for the first time since September 2019. The flight’s return brings a milestone of sorts — the restoration of air service between DIA and all European countries served with direct flights prior to the pandemic; the others are the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Iceland.
But the international recovery hasn’t been even, and a couple flights to foreign destinations remain suspended. Here is a look at where things stand.
International traffic finally catches up
International departures and arrivals at DIA in April reached 255,435 passengers, a figure that outpaced April 2019 by a slight 0.2%, according to the airport’s monthly traffic report, the most recent available. It was the first time during the pandemic that international passengers, who account for about 5% of DIA’s traffic, beat the same month in 2019.
For all of last year, international traffic through DIA was down 40% compared to 2019 levels.
By contrast, monthly deficits for domestic traffic have been smaller throughout the pandemic. And since November, passenger totals for flights between DIA and U.S. destinations have matched or exceeded pre-pandemic levels — with January marking the only exception, amid the omicron-fueled surge in COVID-19 cases.
Domestic traffic was up 2.7% in April compared to three years earlier, driving a recovery that has DIA on pace to set a passenger traffic record this year.
Where international travel is surging — and where it’s not
DIA says European travel and trips to destinations in Mexico and Central America are fueling the recovering numbers. Meanwhile, travel to cities in Canada, which had testing requirements and other COVID-19 travel restrictions until recent months, has lagged.
Passenger counts for travelers required to be processed through U.S. Customs at DIA were up 12% in April compared to 2019 levels, while those who were “pre-cleared” — processed at airports abroad, mostly in Canada — were still down 30%.
That’s likely to change as both the United States and Canada have loosened travel restrictions this spring. DIA is “cautiously optimistic” that international travel will reach record levels this year, with spokeswoman Stephanie Figueroa pointing to airlines’ scheduled international seat capacities in all of 2022 that exceed 2019 totals by 14%.
But she said that could change, since travel abroad is more vulnerable to the uncertainties of changing COVID-19 restrictions.
Two international flights still suspended
While DIA has seen several popular flights restored in recent months, it says two pre-pandemic flights remain suspended. United Airlines has tentatively targeted late October for a return of its flights to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. But Aeromexico’s service to Monterrey, Mexico, remains tabled.
Both carriers have several other flights out of DIA to destinations abroad. Edelweiss was the final carrier with international service to resume operating, DIA says — except for one big carrier that isn’t coming back.
DIA has lost some flights — and gained others
The notable absence from DIA’s current airline roster is Norwegian Air, which had a growing presence at DIA before the pandemic. It flew low-cost flights from DIA to London’s Gatwick Airport starting in 2017 and later added Paris, with plans for a new flight to Rome, Italy, in late March 2020 that never took off because of the pandemic.
Last year, as the airline retooled to focus on shorter-haul service in Europe, Norwegian said it was ending all transatlantic flights. DIA notes that United and British Airways provide service from Denver to London’s Heathrow Airport, and Air France added a Paris flight last year.
DIA has lost one other destination — Winnipeg, Canada, which was dropped by United. But Figueroa said United has added service during the pandemic to Roatan, Honduras, and San Jose, Costa Rica. This spring, airport officials looked to expand DIA’s offerings to even farther-flung destinations by convening a committee tasked with attracting a direct flight to Africa.
Where DIA’s total offerings stand
The airport’s international roster now totals 25 cities in 13 countries, including Canada and Mexico and countries in Central America and Europe. Each number will increase by one when the Tokyo flight resumes later this year.
Prior to the pandemic, DIA had direct service to 27 international destinations in 13 countries, not including Norwegian’s canceled Rome flight.
