Delta Connection carriers continue to expand regional jet service with the addition of three daily nonstop round-trip flights from DFW to Midland/Odessa beginning in June.

Delta Connection, which includes air carriers Atlantic Southeast (ASA), Comair, and DFW's newest airline, SkyWest, added new nonstop regional jet service to Corpus Christi, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana and Tallahassee, Florida in February and is currently enhancing service to existing DFW markets.

The new service announcement is part of a larger expansion by Delta Connection carriers at DFW. DFW announced new nonstop service on Delta Connection in the fall of last year, with new service to destinations such as Pensacola, Florida and Birmingham, Alabama. Delta Connection also re-launched service to Raleigh/Durham and Greensboro, North Carolina last year. All destinations are served by regional jet aircraft.

With the addition of Midland/Odessa, Delta Connection carriers now provide nonstop regional jet service from DFW to 36 cities in the U.S., including eight cities in Texas, with more than 100 daily flights. DFW now serves a total of 54 destinations via regional jets, a 39 percent increase from before the Delta Connection expansion.

Delta Connection Growth
DFW Airport is one of only two airports in the world that is home to two hub carriers, and the service expansion shows the continued strength of Delta Air Lines and its partners in the DFW market. The number of seats available on aircraft to DFW markets has increased by 82 percent since the regional jet expansion began and daily departures on Delta Connection carriers have increased by 63 percent.

RJ Revolution
Airlines are now utilizing small jets that make it economically viable to transport passengers to markets once thought too small for nonstop service. Known as "regional jets" or "RJs," these aircraft can fly longer routes than traditional turboprops and are cheaper to operate than larger aircraft.

Perhaps the greatest potential impact that regional jets will have on future air service to and from America's small-and medium- sized cities will be on hub-and-spoke routes between 400 and 1,200 miles. Passenger traffic levels are currently too low on these routes to justify multiple nonstop daily frequencies with 100-plus seat aircraft by major carriers.

RJs have proven flexible in their ability to operate economically over other route types as well - as large jet replacements, in complementary service patterns and in pioneering service to new destinations. Certainly, hubs like DFW that enjoy a healthy share of both local and connecting passenger activity offer the greatest potential route application for RJs.

The new service from DFW to Midland/Odessa on the popular Canadair regional jet aircraft is now available for purchase through Delta Air Lines reservations at 800 221 1212, as is all Delta Connection and Delta Air Lines service. The flight schedule for the new service is as follows: