United to end nonstop service between Rochester and Denver

United Airlines is discontinuing nonstop service between the Rochester and Denver airports, effective Oct. 30.

United had been offering daily flights between the two cities since fall of last year through a partnership with SkyWest Airlines.

“This is very difficult news for our community,” said John Reed, executive director of Rochester International Airport. “We share in the disappointment at the loss of this route. The ongoing effects of the pandemic continue to impact the air travel industry and airlines are making decisions to terminate flights in communities across the country.”

In a statement via email, a spokesperson for Skywest said the decision to discontinue the service was “due to a lack of sustainable long-term demand”; this despite the connection being the Rochester airport’s most successful flight at 89 percent capacity through August.

The spokesperson said customers who booked a flight between the two cities beyond Oct. 30 will be contacted to make alternate arrangements.

With the termination of the Denver flights, United will no longer have a presence in the Rochester market. This month, the airline also discontinued service from RST to Chicago’s O’Hare airport.

The connection to Denver had been made possible after RST received a $750,000 grant in 2020 from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the purpose of recruiting new nonstop service to a western hub.

Moving forward, the airport will continue to be served by American Airlines, with service to Chicago, and Delta Air Lines, with service to Minneapolis and Atlanta (the latter resuming in November). Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines has also announced plans to add flights from RST to Phoenix and Fort Myers, Fla. beginning in February 2022.

Cover photo: file / licensed via Getty