Two Memphis-New York flights added

American is now city’s No. 1 passenger line

American Airlines will add two daily nonstop flights between Memphis International Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, bringing more service to a key East Coast destination for both business travelers and tourists.

Airport officials said Thursday that American will fly 69-seat E170 aircraft on the route starting Nov. 5. That will double the available nonstop flights from Memphis into New York, airport spokesman Glen Thomas said.

“New York, especially LaGuardia, is such a large market that we definitely felt like there was room for more service there,” Thomas said. “Obviously, American did, too, since they’re adding two daily flights, not just one. That shows there is demand there.”

This bit of good news for travelers comes as the airport slowly recovers from the devastation left behind when Delta Air Lines eliminated Memphis as a hub.

At one point, the airport boasted as many as 300 flights a day to 91 airports as a major carrier connecting hub. Now, that amounts to 87 daily departures to 39 airports on peak days during June. Still, that number is growing because airport officials have lured new airlines and new flights in recent months.

The additional service cements American Airlines’ role as the largest passenger carrier in Memphis in terms of flights. The Fort Worth-based airline averages 26 flights a day, the airport said. The LaGuardia flights would bring that total to 28.

Delta, once the undisputed king of Memphis International Airport, averages 23 flights a day.

Pace Cooper, chairman of the board for the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, called the addition a “huge positive development.”

“Adding two more flights to the New York market provides our passengers with more choices and greater connectivity,” he said in a news release announcing the service. “For American to choose the Memphis route for their precious slots at LaGuardia speaks to the success of our efforts to sell Memphis as a desired destination.”

Last month, Memphis International Airport overhauled its incentives for new passenger service to make it easier to plug gaps left by Delta’s cuts. Thomas said that, at this point, American Airlines has not requested participation in the incentive program for the flights.