Denver, here we come.

Helena travelers will have another hub option and two more flights per day starting June 5 when United Express initiates service to Denver from the Helena Regional Airport.

Airport officials made the announcement Tuesday at a luncheon honoring donors to a matching fund that helped secure a Small Community Air Service Grant from the Department of Transportation.

Flights are expected to leave Helena for Denver daily at 7:30 a.m. and 4:06 p.m., with flights arriving here from the Colorado capital at 3:40 p.m. and 10:56 p.m. The schedules show a flight time of around 1 hour and 40 minutes.

The route will be served by 50-seat regional jets operated by SkyWest Airlines, the same regional carrier that contracts with Delta for the local flights to Salt Lake City.

Jason Fruh, a self-employed information technology contractor, said he's happy to see the additional flight options. He travels to Indianapolis frequently for work, usually departing Monday morning and returning Thursday night.

"Hopefully this will give me more options for better flight schedules," he said. "Sometimes the Northwest connections (through Minneapolis) are pretty tight, and with Delta I have to make the extra stop in Cincinnati. Hopefully this will make the trip easier."

The air service grant includes some money to market the new routes as well as existing routes from the airport, but much of it serves as a revenue guarantee for United in the event the airline's projected passenger counts from here fall short.

Typically the grants are awarded to communities where air service is limited and fares are high. Airport manager Ron Mercer said the rapid collection of $50,000 from the community showed that Helenans are serious about wanting better flight options.

"We're humbled by the support we've received from the community," he said. "This really is a grant for the community, not just for the airport."

Dan Ellison, chairman of the Airport Authority board, said 100 communities applied for grants this year and only 9 received them.

Mercer said the contract is for a year, with a second year at the airline's option.

"If we don't use the service, it won't stay here," he said. "But we're confident that it will."

Reporter John Harrington: 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com.