By Rachel Cohen, Boise State Public Radio

Twin Falls will start a new daily flight to Denver this week on United Airlines. The flights are operated by SkyWest Airlines, and the first plane takes off on Wednesday.

Right now, passengers going out of Magic Valley Regional Airport can only travel to Salt Lake City International Airport on three daily flights.

Local leaders say the Denver flight could spur more tourism in South Central Idaho and could be a boon to the business community.

Connie Stopher, the executive director of Southern Idaho Economic Development, said the Magic Valley is home to some large national and multinational corporations, and employees frequently need to travel between branches.

The route to Denver opens up more travel to the East Coast and international hubs, which could also help attract new business to the area.

“It’s pretty common when we’re recruiting businesses, for people to inquire about the daily flights,” Stopher said, “because they have offices in other locations, or they’re going to be bringing in consultants from other places, and they want to know that it’s not going to take two days to get somewhere.”

Last year, the Twin Falls airport won a $900,000 federal Department of Transportation grant to start this route, but the pandemic delayed its launch.

New direct flights to and from Boise Airport kick off this spring and summer, too. JetBlue will start flying to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on July 2, and direct service to Austin and Nashville begins later this spring.

Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen

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