American Airlines will begin non-stop flights between Burlington International Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina in August, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced Tuesday.
Weinberger said the route makes Charlotte the 12th destination with non-stop service from Burlington currently operating.
He said the airport’s aviation manager, Gene Richards, has been working to establish the route for years. City officials and state Secretary of Transportation Sue Minter thanked American Airlines for making the decision to expand service in Burlington.
The announcement comes after Allegiant Airlines announced non-stop flights between Burlington and Orlando in November 2013.
Officials also said the new route will open up easier connections for passengers at the airport because Charlotte is American Airlines’ second-largest hub in the U.S. behind Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
In addition to opening up new destinations for travelers using Burlington’s airport, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce President Tom Torti said the new route would help the local economy.
“Without robust growing and expanding air service, we would not be able to attract the businesses, we would not be able to attract the talent, we would not be able to retain the businesses and the talent that we need to have an expanding and thriving private sector economy,” he said.
Torti said the airport is part of a “trinity” of features that drive the economy in the Burlington area. Also vital to that economy, he said, are the intellectual draws of the college , universities and high-tech businesses and the natural resources of Lake Champlain and the green mountains.
