Northwest Airlines debuts 21/2-hour nonstop service between BIA, Detroit

BANGOR – Northwest Airlines kicked off nonstop jet service Friday between Bangor and Detroit, the Minneapolis-based carrier’s largest hub.

Northwest now offers two daily flights each way between Detroit and Bangor. Starting July 1, Northwest will add another incoming and outgoing flight to daily services. The flights will average a little less than 21/2 hours of airtime on 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jets.

Gov. John Baldacci and officials from Northwest Airlines spoke about the new service to more than 60 people gathered on the second floor of Bangor International Airport’s domestic terminal.

“We’ve opened up an entire region and the rest of the world to Bangor,” Baldacci said after a short ceremony. “And we’ve opened up Bangor to the rest of the world.”

From Detroit, travelers can connect with more than 475 daily flights and 131 nonstop destinations in 12 countries and three continents.

“This is the beginning of the tourist season, so this couldn’t have come at a better time,” Baldacci said.

With strong tourism and leisure markets, Northwest has high hopes the new service will generate business on a national and international level and bring it to Bangor, according to Terry Leo, Northeast regional director for sales. The key to coming to secondary markets such as Bangor has been the 50-seat planes, Leo said.

“There’s always been business here. We just couldn’t bring a large plane in here,” Leo said. “This market needs a smaller plane with more frequency.”

The price of a round-trip ticket to Detroit from Bangor with 14 days’ notice and a Saturday stay is $375, although two people flying together would pay $269 each, according to Bangor Travel Services. A passenger connecting at Detroit on a round-trip flight to Minneapolis with 14 days’ notice and a Saturday stay would pay $475, or $311 for each of two people flying together.

Northwest Airlink previously offered a turboprop shuttle service between BIA and Boston’s Logan Airport.