Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is about to get a lot busier. United Airlines has announced twice-daily nonstop service from Denver starting 10 August 2027, landing less than two days after Delta revealed its own plan: twice-daily nonstops from Salt Lake City beginning 7 June 2027.
Both carriers will fly the same aircraft on the route — a Bombardier CRJ-550, a small jet configured with 10 first-class seats, 20 extra-legroom economy seats and 20 standard economy seats. That means even on a regional hop you'll get a genuine first-class cabin, which is a rarity for a route this short.
The competition angle matters here. American Airlines has dominated Flagstaff for decades, flying in from its Phoenix hub since the 1970s-era relationship began, and adding Dallas-Fort Worth service in 2018. Two new carriers at once shakes up a one-airline market — and competition usually means better fares and more schedule options. There's history to the United route, too: the airline flew Denver–Flagstaff from 2019 to 2022 before dropping it, so this is a returning service rather than a brand-new experiment.
Why should holidaymakers care? Flagstaff sits about two hours north of Phoenix and is arguably the most convenient small airport for two of Arizona's biggest draws. The Grand Canyon's South Rim is roughly 80 minutes away by car, and Sedona's red rocks are under an hour down the road. Flying into FLG instead of Phoenix Sky Harbor saves a significant chunk of driving — Sky Harbor to the Grand Canyon is closer to a four-hour haul. Flagstaff itself is worth a stop: it's a Route 66 town at 7,000 feet elevation, home to Northern Arizona University, with a genuinely cool downtown and much cooler summer temperatures than the desert floor.
There's also a story behind the timing. Flagstaff's airport recently secured an $800,000 federal grant designed to incentivise airlines to launch service to either Denver or Salt Lake City — and within weeks, both cities landed new routes. Local officials will be delighted that the money worked faster than anyone expected.
Practically speaking, the new routes won't be bookable as everyday options until mid-2027, so if you're planning a Grand Canyon or Sedona trip in the next year, Phoenix remains the main gateway. But for trips from summer 2027 onwards, travellers from the Mountain West and connecting passengers through Denver or Salt Lake City will have a far easier route in. Watch for introductory fares when seats go on sale — new routes on a 50-seat regional jet tend to fill up fast in peak season.
This is good news for anyone who's ever written off northern Arizona as too much of a drive. Come 2027, the Grand Canyon and Sedona get meaningfully closer.
