Experience the Ease of Air Travel in and out of the Four Corners Region

Dedicated Efforts of City of Farmington Delivers! Commercial Air Service Returns to the Four Corners Regional Airport.

United Airlines (UAL) is launching jet service to Denver on a 50 passenger Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft starting the morning of May 9. The departure time is 5:55 am and the flight arrives in Denver at 7:04 am. The schedule allows travelers to make connections to both east and west coasts as well as any of the numerous international flights leaving one of United Airlines’ largest hubs. A once-a-day return flight to Farmington departs Denver at 8:35 pm and arrives in Farmington at 9:59 pm. The aircraft and crew will overnight in Farmington which stages travelers for a reliable on time departure the next morning.

Congratulations to the City of Farmington Team!

Attracting commercial air service to Farmington was a herculean task and a real marathon! There are so many communities soliciting air carriers for service. Industry experts estimate that up to ten communities are bidding for commercial air service for every one plane available. On any given week, five or six communities are meeting with U.S. airlines in an effort to secure service. Enter the City of Farmington who has been working hard to restore air service since 2017.

Numerous obstacles have been overcome and substantial investments made. COVID, aircraft and crew shortages and supply chain issues impacting aircraft maintenance were all impediments. Not to be deterred, the City of Farmington, led by Airport Director Mike Lewis and Mayor Nate Duckett and City Manager Rob Mayes, stayed on task.

Over the last several years the City has been the beneficiary of U.S. Federal and State of New Mexico grants to help restore air service. In one grant, the City of Farmington secured $25 million from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to extend and improve the runway. Other grants support local, national and international marketing efforts for the new flights and will cover the airline’s operating costs should ticket sales over a two-year period not generate enough revenue to cover operating expenses.

Mike Lewis acknowledged that “Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham has championed this initiative as a key component of our state's economic development strategy." Lewis also recognized State Representative Dayan Hochman-Vigil's contribution by introducing the New Mexico Rural Air Service Enhancement Fund (RASE) legislation. "The strong bipartisan support for RASE in the Statehouse has made these flights possible.”

No Better Place to Resume Air Service Than to Denver!

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the Rocky Mountain West’s largest airport by number of flights and United Airlines is Denver’s largest air carrier. And UAL is expanding in DEN with the construction of an additional 40 gates. UAL is the world’s third largest air carrier and serves over 230 domestic destinations and 115 international destinations in 48 countries across five continents. DEN is also home to the largest United Club in the UAL network. Click here to access the UAL map to explore all the domestic and international destinations available from DEN and now, Farmington (FMN). The bottom line is that DEN is the best first choice for air travelers originating at FMN.

And Now for Your Part . . .

United Airlines is making a commitment to San Juan County and now its your turn. UAL and its sister operating carrier SkyWest are making a two-year commitment to FMN. It’s now up to passengers to make the case to not only keep, but to expand UAL service in Farmington. Book your reservations now for travel from Farmington on the UAL website. UAL is supporting its new service with strong corporate marketing programs that are recognized as among the industry’s best. These include programs like one free air ticket for every ten purchased and a great frequent flyer mileage program. The UAL app for iPhone or Android is the industry’s best.

Most importantly, fares from FMN are extremely competitive with those offered at La Plata County Airport to DEN and beyond. UAL wants to earn and keep the business of San Juan County and Four Corners air travelers.

Strong Marketing Supporting New Service – Nothing Beats Word of Mouth and Booking Reservations

After working so hard to resume air service, the City of Farmington is aggressively working a marketing campaign to raise local, national and international awareness of the new flights. ArkStar Group, a national caliber air service marketing boutique, has produced a sophisticated and very targeted digital media campaign.  ArkStar CEO Gary Foss added, “UAL is supporting its new service with strong corporate marketing programs that are recognized as among the industry's best.” 

Market research says that there are roughly 152 air travelers a day originating from the Farmington catchment area. Most drive to Albuquerque and the remainder to Durango. There is a market for Farmington air service and we need 50 of the 152 to board the new UAL service to DEN.

The digital campaign uses purchased nonattributable information on 230,000 prospective air travelers in 52 zip codes in the Four Corners’ area. Cellphone usage data also supports the campaign along with targeted spending on Facebook and Google. A key campaign focus is to get prospective travelers to compare the costs of flying from FMN as compared to driving to Albuquerque or Durango.

Also, let your out of town business associates and relatives know that starting May 8 they can fly through DEN direct to Farmington. Sure makes it easier for them and for you!