CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It wasn’t on the agenda, but a surprise announcement quietly landed at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
“Thank you for believing in Corpus Christi… for finally believing in Corpus Christi,” Mayor Paulette Guajardo said, moments before unveiling a major milestone for the city’s airport.
Starting Oct. 9, Frontier Airlines will launch nonstop service between Corpus Christi International Airport and Denver. It will be the first nonstop commercial route from the city since 1997.
“A nonstop route to a major hub like Denver opens the door to increased business, opportunities, tourism and, of course, investment,” Guajardo said.
Flights will operate twice a week—departing Thursdays and returning Sundays—with a flight time of about two and a half hours.
“It’s very convenient for people to have a full work day, go grab bags, get to Denver… and then come back on Sunday,” the mayor added.
To secure the route, the city backed it with over $1.1 million in potential revenue guarantees—money Frontier would receive only if the route underperforms.
That guarantee includes $437,000 from a federal grant, $100,000 from Visit Corpus Christi, and the remainder from Type B sales tax funds. No general fund money will be used.
“It’s a way for them to test the market,” said Jeremy Valgardson, interim director of aviation for Corpus Christi International Airport. “We know the data shows this would be supported, but you never really know until you try.”
That data shows roughly 63,000 people travel annually between Corpus Christi and Denver—but many fly out of larger airports like Houston or San Antonio. Of the estimated 2.1 million travelers from the Coastal Bend area, only around 660,000 use Corpus Christi International.
Airport leaders hope the new route will bring more of those travelers back to their hometown airport.
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