Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) today announced the addition of new seasonal nonstop flights between Grand Cayman and Denver, Colorado, starting March 2, 2019. It will be the longest scheduled commercial flight the airline has ever operated, made possible by the upcoming arrival of the first of CAL’s four brand new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

“Cayman Airways plays a key strategic role in providing airlift to the Cayman Islands and so we’re excited about the introduction of non-stop service between Grand Cayman and Denver, Colorado” said Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Moses Kirkconnell. “Denver is well known as a community of avid divers who will be thrilled by having the convenience and opportunity to dive in Cayman more often. We are especially pleased that the arrival of CAL’s first Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft this November will help to support dive tourism due to the aircraft’s ability to serve long-range destinations.”

Colorado is home to the sixth-largest population of Scuba divers in the U.S., and is ranked as the fastest-growing state for Scuba divers since 2010, according to the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association, making Denver a natural addition to the Cayman Airways network for growing dive tourism for the Cayman Islands.

Chairman of the Board of Directors for Cayman Airways, Phillip Rankin, said: “The introduction of the Denver route is a milestone for Cayman Airways as the longest scheduled commercial flight we’ve ever operated in the airline’s 50-year history. It is just the first of many benefits our national airline will achieve for our country with the Fleet Modernization Plan that will see our National Airline boast having the newest jet fleet in the region, while being the first Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft operator in the Caribbean.”

President and CEO of Cayman Airways, Fabian Whorms, commented: “The new Denver nonstop service will reduce the travel time to Cayman from typically between nine and eleven hours using multiple flights, to less than five hours aboard a direct flight on our brand new state-of-the-art Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft with industry-leading comfort and legroom in both our Business and Economy cabins, combined with our renown Caymankind in-flight experience, which includes free Rum Punch. We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors from the Mile High City with our special introductory roundtrip airfares starting from US$396 plus taxes.”

The city of Denver is also celebrating the new CAL route as the city’s first and only Caribbean-based airline to operate nonstop service there. According to officials at Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver currently ranks as the second-largest U.S. market without nonstop service to an island in the Caribbean, with demand reaching 650 passengers per day. Additionally, Denver is the largest U.S. market without nonstop service to Grand Cayman, with nearly 250 passengers a week traveling to this tropical destination. DEN officials said the travel demand between Denver and Grand Cayman is strong, recording more than 10 percent growth over the past year.

“Each new airline or a nonstop destination provides our residents and visitors more options to explore the world, while also creating new tourism and businesses opportunities here in Denver,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “We thank Cayman Airways for investing in our community, and we’re pleased to welcome them as the first Caribbean-based airline to serve Denver.”

CEO of Denver International Airport (DEN), Kim Day, stated: “We are delighted to welcome our newest airline, Cayman Airways, to DEN, as they provide nonstop service to the Caribbean. This will be a great option for our large Scuba diving population as well as for Coloradoans just looking for a way to explore the Cayman Islands and relax on the beach.”

The new Cayman Airways Denver service will operate twice-weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, throughout the peak travel periods of December through August. For details and to book, call Cayman Airways Reservations on 345-949-2311, 1-800-422-2696, contact a travel professional, or visit www.caymanairways.com