DENVER — The longest-ever nonstop flight from Colorado launches Tuesday.
Turkish Airlines will begin service between Denver International Airport and Turkey's Istanbul Airport (IST) on Tuesday.
Service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays throughout the year. A fourth weekly flight, on Sundays, will be added on July 9.
Flights are scheduled to depart Denver at 7:35 p.m. and arrive in Istanbul at 4:15 p.m. the next day. Returning flights from Istanbul will depart at 1:55 p.m., arriving in Denver at 5:40 p.m.
First announced in April, the route will use a 316-seat Airbus A350-900, the airport said.
Turkish Airlines is the 26th airline to operate at Denver's airport.
Denver's longest route
Turkish's new route will fly a distance of around 6,130 miles, or around 12 hours in the air.
Denver's previous longest scheduled flight has been Tokyo-Narita, served daily by United Airlines, at 5,788 miles.
Economic impact
The new service is estimated to produce more than $54 million in annual economic impact to Colorado's economy, according to Denver International Airport.
Another 350 new jobs will be created in Colorado as a result of Turkish Airlines' arrival in Denver, the airport said.
Founded in 1933, Turkish Airlines serves as Turkey's flag carrier primarily operating through its main hub at Istanbul Airport. Denver will be the 14th United States destination served by the airline, the airport said.
Current destinations in the United States served by Turkish Airlines include Washington, D.C., New York City, Newark, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.
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