United Airlines, Lufthansa to Resume Flying Between Denver and Germany Despite Coronavirus Restrictions

Oct. 20-- Denver International Airport officials announced Tuesday that nonstop service between Denver and Munich will resume next week, connecting the city with a European counterpart for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Colorado.

Lufthansa Airlines will provide service from Munich to Denver on Sunday. The carrier will then fly from Denver to Munich on Monday, 224 days after the last flight between DIA and Europe on March 16, according to airport officials.

United Airlines plans to resume nonstop service to Frankfurt on Nov. 2. The two airlines, which operate a transatlantic joint venture, will then provide service between Denver and the two German destinations three times each week in November, airport officials say.

"The resumption of service to Germany on both United and Lufthansa marks a significant milestone in our continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic," DIA CEO Kim Day said in a statement. "These flights will provide access for local passengers and travelers who need to connect through our large hub network."

Connecting destinations will be key for U.S. travelers. Germany is among the European Union countries that are barring most U.S. citizens from entering the country. COVID-19 cases are spiking in Europe as well as in Denver.

In Tuesday's news release, DIA officials urged travelers to check local restrictions before flying and provided a link to the U.S. embassy in Germany's COVID-19 information page found here: de.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information.

As the page outlines, U.S. visitors are exempted from travel restrictions if they are passing through and plan to leave Germany immediately on their way to another destination. For the most part, American citizens are barred from entering the country unless they can demonstrate an urgent need for their visit as defined by the German government.

Frankfurt is Lufthansa's main hub and provides service to numerous other countries. Denver has become United's biggest hub amid the pandemic and the airline is adding back flights here in October and November faster than its other hub locations, officials said Tuesday.

" The Lufthansa Group is committed to connecting passengers and serving as a bridge between the continents," Larry Ryan, that airline's senior director of USA sales, said in Tuesday's news release. "We are especially excited to resume service for our Denver-based customers as we expand our network connections for the benefit of all travelers in the region."

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