Delta Resuming Chattanooga-New York Nonstops
Delta Air Lines plans to restart key daily nonstop service between Chattanooga and New York after the flights were earlier furloughed as a result of the pandemic.
The service from Chattanooga Airport to LaGuardia International Airport is to resume starting Oct. 7, according to Lovell Field.
April Cameron, Chattanooga Airport's president and chief executive, said Friday that New York is the most sought-after market business travelers request every year.
"The schedules will be very accommodating for business travelers who need to fly out and return the same day," she said in a statement. "Delta has always been a tremendous partner, and we are deeply grateful for their continued confidence in our city and region."
Service to LaGuardia has an early morning departure and an evening arrival in Chattanooga, according to the airport.
Flights will leave Chattanooga at 7 a.m. and arrive in New York at 9:10 a.m. The return flight departs New York at 7:45 p.m. and lands in Chattanooga at 10:15 p.m., the schedule shows. Tickets are to go on sale this weekend.
The daily flight will be operated on a CRJ-900, a 76-seat aircraft, the airport said.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said restarting nonstops to LaGuardia has been a high priority for his administration due to economic development and the access to amenities in New York City.
"I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Delta, and thank April Cameron and her team ... as well as her board, for all the progress we are making at Lovell Field," he said in the statement.
Chattanooga Airport Authority Chair Jim Hall cited Delta's commitment to the city.
"We also want to sincerely thank all our passengers that fly out of Chattanooga because we believe their commitment to choose to fly from Chattanooga helped to influence Delta's decision to provide this new service," he said in the release.
Chattanooga Airport officials had hoped the New York flights would return much earlier. But that didn't occur as business traffic nationally was slower to come back from the pandemic than leisure travel, officials said.