Southwest Airlines has recruited Denver sport mascots Dinger, Rocky and Bernie to help with a new marketing campaign that highlights what the carrier touts as flexible policies on baggage, change and cancellation fees and reward points. The Dallas-based airline kicked off a national  publicity push called “The Big Flex” last week and unveiled ads and signs Monday in Denver. The Denver-focused advertising features Dinger from the Colorado Rockies, Rocky from the Denver Nuggets and Bernie from the Colorado Avalanche. In a bit of good timing, Southwest’s local campaign got underway as the Nu ..read more

Southwest Airlines is ending flights to four major airports — three of which are currently served by nonstop routes from Denver International Airport — and cutting back on flights to two others, the airline announced Thursday. Starting Aug. 4, Southwest will no longer fly in or out of Bellingham International Airport in Washington state, Cozumel International Airport in Mexico, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York state, according to a news release from Southwest Airlines. The airline will also reduce operations at Hartsfield-Jac ..read more

Denver International Airport will change its overnight security checkpoint times starting May 5, according to the Transportation Security Administration. TSA will no longer operate security checkpoints and bag scans from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. South Security, which operates 24/7, is the only checkpoint impacted by this change. Bridge security closes at 5:45 p.m. and reopens at 4:30 a.m. and West security closes at 7:30 p.m. and reopens at 4 a.m. “This change was made to ensure that our staff is allocated at the appropriate times throughout the day when flights are operating when we have the most, or ..read more

The summer travel season is close on the horizon and there’s turbulence between flight attendants and at least two of the airlines in Denver, including the airport’s largest carrier. About 70 United Airlines flight attendants staged informational picketing Thursday at Denver International Airport to focus attention on what they say is a lack of progress in contract negotiations after nearly three years. The airport was one of 18 across the country where flight attendants picketed. “There really is not much movement despite record profits and bonuses to employee executives,” said Chris Bruton ..read more

A Southwest Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver International Airport on Sunday morning after its engine cowling tore off during takeoff from the airport. Just before 8 a.m., flight 3695 started its journey from Denver to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, with 135 passengers and six crew members on board, when the metal engine covering detached from the Boeing 737-800 plane. Photos provided to The Denver Post by passenger John Vahlenkamp show much of the engine’s components exposed under the plane’s wing, with the metal covering ripped from the top. Viral videos ..read more

A new nonstop Turkish Airlines flight from Denver International Airport will carry travelers 6,130 miles between Denver and Istanbul — the longest flight from DIA and the latest in Colorado’s expansion of global connections. The recruitment of Turkish Airlines brings the number of airlines at DIA to 26. Searches on Google on Thursday morning showed flights available three days a week, starting June 11, for around $1,329 roundtrip. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and DIA chief executive Phil Washington announced the flight Thursday morning, celebrating a milestone in efforts to link the Rocky Mounta ..read more

Jonna McGrath is the first woman to head United Airlines’ operations at Denver International Airport, taking charge during a $2.1 billion overhaul of the airport’s terminal and soaring growth for both the airport and the company. McGrath, a 35-year veteran of the airline, oversees United’s fastest-growing hub. Since 2019, United, the airport’s dominant carrier, has seen a roughly 30% increase in gate capacity and an 18% increase in the number of passengers in Denver. United accounted for nearly 50% of DIA’s passengers in February. The airline is logging 464 flights a day out of Denver and expe ..read more

If you haven’t already booked your travel to see the solar eclipse on April 8, it could be too late to get decent reservations for flights, hotels, and rental cars — or it could cost an exorbitant amount. The total solar eclipse will pass over North America — including parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada — with varying degrees of darkness on April 8. In what is called “the path of totality,” the sky will go completely dark for a brief time; other places, like Denver, will see a partial eclipse. The rush is still on for people to be in that path and experience the strange moment when ..read more

When Justin Cucci would fly out of Denver International Airport more than 10 years ago, he’d usually pack his own food. “As a traveler, I was always let down by the food and the lack of Denver representation,” he said. So when an airport concessionaire approached him about opening a branch of Root Down — his eclectic, farm-to-table restaurant — as part of a major retail overhaul at DIA in 2013, he decided to take the risk. “I thought it would be cool to make a statement about accessibility to craft food that’s sustainably sourced from local farms in the airport,” he said. RELATED: A local’s gu ..read more

Update 9:11 a.m. Friday: This story will no longer be updated. Click here to see the latest update on Friday delays/cancellations at Denver International Airport.  Update 8:30 p.m.: There were 830 canceled flights and 427 delayed flights at Denver International Airport as of late Thursday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. All airport operations were normal, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Update 2:00 p.m.: Snow is finally falling at Denver International Airport, though operations remain normal and all runways are open, according to airport offic ..read more