United Airlines has officially launched its newest route to The Bahamas, with the commencement of weekly nonstop service from Denver, Colo. to Nassau.

The new service will run through August before relaunching on Oct. 21 on an annual basis, according to Bahamas tourism officials.

“We are very excited for travelers to experience the islands’ adventurous activities that cannot be found in the mountains of Colorado; the beautiful sun, sand and sea of The Bahamas are now just a short airplane ride away,” said Bahamas Tourism Director General Joy Jibrilu.

The new flight will operate weekly on Saturdays.

The first flight this weekend brought more than 100 passengers to Nassau, according to Bahamas tourism officials.

“This is an incredibly proud day for The Bahamas; this flight was met with so much enthusiasm and demand that the flight was upgraded to accommodate an estimated 180 passengers,” remarked Dr. Kenneth Romer, Executive Director at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. “This partnership is exemplary of the commitment from the Ministry of Tourism to diversify our product offering throughout the United States.”

Officials say there has been an uptick in advanced bookings to The Bahamas with United.

We are pleased to welcome United Airlines’ new service from Denver, Colorado to LPIA. Denver is one of the top 20 originating destinations for travelers coming to our airport. This new route expands our reach into the Denver market and also provides an additional avenue for West Coast passengers in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles to connect to Nassau,” said Vernice Walkine, President and CEO of the Nassau Airport Development Company.”

— CJ