United Airlines will expand its seasonal service from Portland to Denver this summer, adding daily nonstop flights that will bolster efforts by the city’s airport to improve its connections with western destinations.

The Chicago-based airline began seasonal, weekend, nonstop flights to Denver this summer. Starting in June, it will expand that service to daily flights. The new route will run from June 4 through Sept. 7, according to a statement released by the Portland International Jetport on Thursday.

“This announcement from United is welcomed news for Mainers traveling west,” Paul Bradbury, airport director, said in the statement. “We have been focused on adding more connectivity to the west, and United’s expanded commitment to Denver is helping us tremendously in providing nonstop service to a top 10 destination, and allowing for easier connections to many more secondary markets on the West Coast.”

On Wednesday, Southwest said it plans to offer flights to Chicago Midway International Airport on Saturdays and Sundays. It also will introduce a Saturday flight between Portland and Nashville. The service will run from June 7 through Aug. 10.

United and Southwest’s announcements follow a spate of expanded service from Portland. In the last year, American Airlines started offering summertime flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, and Sun Country has announced a seasonal service to Minneapolis.

“Over the past few years the jetport has worked closely with our airline partners to make going west easier. In 2017 there were no nonstop seats departing for destinations west of the Mississippi River. In the summer of 2020 there will be approximately 2,000 seats a week flying nonstop west of the Mississippi for the peak summer season” Bradbury said.

The jetport provides nonstop service to 24 destinations via nine airlines.

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