Southwest Airlines is, by almost every measure, an enormous carrier. This is exemplified by the fact that, according to current scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, it has scheduled 89,520 flights from Denver International Airport (DEN) this year. This makes it the busiest airport by departures, and it also has the most seats, with 14,635,842.

Some of these flights are short, and others are long, but earlier this month, Southwest made history by launching its longest-ever US domestic route from Denver. The corridor in question serves Ted Stevens Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in the US state of Alaska, with a maximum block time of more than five-and-a-half hours. Let’s take a look at what makes this route a key step forward.

Making History

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According to historical flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, Southwest’s first-ever flight from Denver to Anchorage took off on May 15. WN3094, this lengthy domestic service is scheduled to depart at 5:40 PM and arrive at 9:15 PM, with a block time of 5 hours and 35 minutes. As it happens, the rotations operated thus far have spent closer to five hours actually in the air.

The return leg, WN198, is quicker, with a block time of five hours and five minutes. This service operates overnight, departing at 10:25 PM and arriving at 5:30 AM the following morning. Southwest uses the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on this route, which will operate daily until early September. Ryan Anderson from the Alaska Department of Transportation, commented on the new route.

“Air travel is a lifeline in Alaska, and Southwest’s arrival in Anchorage is a major win for our communities. This service will provide more affordable, reliable connections for Alaskans.”

Southwest’s Other Long Domestic Hops From Denver

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Such is the length of Southwest’s new domestic route from Denver to Anchorage that it outranks its previous longest internal services from the ‘Mile High City’ by a full 45 minutes. These routes served New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), with each route boasting a maximum block time of four hours and 50 minutes.

This put them just ahead of Southwest’s route from Denver to Miami International Airport (MIA) in Florida, which topped out at four hours and 40 minutes. Elsewhere on the East Coast, its corridors from Denver to Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, and T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Providence, Rhode Island, had a maximum time of four hours and 35 minutes.

Continuing down the rankings, and returning to Florida, passengers flying on Southwest Airlines from Denver to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) can expect maximum block times of four hours and 30 minutes. Meanwhile, both Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) are four hours and 25 minutes away.

The Airline Also Serves Anchorage From Las Vegas

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Denver is actually one of two bases from which Southwest has launched scheduled domestic flights with the 737 MAX 8 to Anchorage this year. The other is Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in the state of Nevada, which just about beats Denver on frequency. Indeed, Southwest will fly from ‘Sin City’ to Anchorage a total of 123 times this year, compared to 116 from Denver.

Much like the route from Denver, Southwest’s first flight from Las Vegas to Anchorage departed on May 15. However, the carrier will operate an extra week of flights on this corridor in September, with the last rotation departing on September 14, hence the increased total. The block time on this route is the same as from Denver for the outbound leg, with the return being longer, at five hours and 10 minutes.