Southwest Airlines announced this morning it will launch new service from Denver to Oakland, marking its 11th nonstop destination from DIA.

The Dallas-based discount carrier will offer five daily nonstop departures from Denver International Airport to Oakland starting June 17. It also will add a third daily flight from DIA to Houston's Hobby airport beginning Aug. 4.

The moves are part of a larger expansion fueled by the addition of new aircraft, Southwest said.

"With at least 37 new Boeing 737s joining our fleet this year, we anticipate seven to eight percent capacity growth in 2007," Gary Kelly, Southwest’s chief executive officer, said in a release.

Southwest also is adding new flights at its hubs in Orlando and Baltimore.

The carrier started service in Denver early last year with 13 daily flights to three cities.

By mid-summer, Southwest will fly 41 nonstop flights from DIA to 11 cities. Last month it announced plans to add a new route between Denver and Tampa, Fla., starting in May.

Southwest’s Web site lists tickets for the new Oakland service starting at $99 each way, before taxes and other fees.