Flights added at BIA State travelers cheer schedule

BANGOR – Area residents will have four additional destination choices when flying from Bangor International Airport this summer.

As part of a summer kick-off on Wednesday, airport officials announced four seasonal flights, which have either returned from previous years, or are brand new services.

Delta Air Lines started its once daily flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on June 5 and it will continue to Sept. 5. U.S. Airways began its three-times daily flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York on June 3 and the service will end Oct. 26. A Saturday flight to Washington D.C., will be added by U.S. Airways July 5 and will continue until Sept. 6. Northwest Airlines also added a Saturday flight to Minneapolis, which began on June 7 and will continue until Aug. 16. Continental Airlines increased its frequency of flights to Newark, N.J., to twice daily, except Sundays, through Oct. 1.

Airport Director Rebecca Hupp said BIA has had seasonal service to Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., in years past, but not last year. The flight to JFK is brand new, but the LaGuardia flight used to be offered by American Airlines before the carrier pulled out of the Bangor market, she said.

“With so much doom and gloom happening in the industry right now we want to take the opportunity to celebrate some of the good things,” Hupp told the audience early Wednesday afternoon.

Local travel agents, airline representatives, city councilors and staff members for Maine’s congressional delegation were on hand to welcome the seasonal flight increase. In addition to the new service, Hupp also noted the construction which will begin on the airport terminal within the next few weeks.

Included in the construction is installing the often-requested restrooms beyond the second-floor security checkpoint.

Since many Maine people travel during the winter months, the increased summer service is more likely to help Bangor-area residents through a boost in the economy due to tourism, said Donna Demmons of All About Travel in Bangor.

For those Mainers who are traveling, the extra service will not only provide additional destinations, but will increase connectivity, she said.

Shawn and Andrea McPherson and their two small sons were taking advantage of the 1:30 p.m. departure flight to JFK on Wednesday. The Presque Isle couple connected through JFK to reach their final destination of Las Vegas.

“It’s cheaper if we flew from here,” Andrea McPherson said. “Where we live it would have cost us $3,000 to get there, and from here it’s only $1,500.”

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