DENVER — Colorado has landed its longest nonstop flight yet.
Turkish Airlines will conduct service between Denver International Airport (DEN) and Turkey's Istanbul Airport (IST).
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and DIA CEO Phil Washington announced the new flight at a ceremony Thursday at the Denver City and County Building.
Turkish Airlines will serve as the 26th airline to operate at Denver's airport.
Flights are scheduled to begin June 11. Service will operate three days per week -- Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays -- throughout the year. A fourth weekly flight, on Sundays, will be added on July 9, the airport said.
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.
The route will use a 316-seat Airbus A350-900, 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.
Denver's longest route
Presently at 5,788 miles, Denver's longest scheduled flight is Tokyo-Narita, served daily by United Airlines.
Turkish's new route will comfortably beat that at a distance of around 6,130 miles, or around 12 hours in the air.
Current destinations in the U.S. served by Turkish Airlines include Washington D.C. (IAD), New York City (JFK), Newark (EWR), Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), Atlanta (ATL), Houston (IAH), Dallas (DFW), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD) and Seattle (SEA).
Economic impact
The new service is estimated to produce more than $54 million in annual economic impact to Colorado's economy, according to DIA.
Another 350 new jobs will be created in Colorado as a result of Turkish Airlines' arrival in Denver, the airport said.
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