Hattiesburg-Laurel airport opens flight services to Chicago

PINE BELT, Miss. - The following is a press release from the Hattiesburg-Laurel airport.

The Pine Belt will be getting additional air service this summer. Flights leaving the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport will now be going to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Chicago, Illinois (ORD).

“This is a great opportunity for a small community like ours,” said Tom Heanue, Executive Director. “You don’t see many small communities going to two hubs with jet service.”

The new service will start June 2, 2017 and will the following schedule:

“Although we are losing our frequency (2 times a day) to DFW, picking up another option for our travelers (ORD) is helpful for those wanting to travel to the Midwest or eastern destinations,” said Heanue.

The change in service is prompted by aircraft and pilot shortage with the current carrier, ExpressJet. “Skywest, the parent company, has been very happy with the travelers out of the Pine Belt and Meridian and wanted to ensure service was continued in this Essential Air Service market,” Heanue continued.

Both flights will be shared with Meridian to and from the Pine Belt. “Our passengers will need to book early and make sure they pay to assign a seat on these flights,” said Heanue. “Tickets will go on sale March 12th at www.aa.com.

“This is a good service pattern for us, not optimal, but sure beats not having any service,” said Heanue.