SAN ANTONIO – The first American Airlines flight of San Antonio's new nonstop daily service to Philadelphia took off Thursday.
The new nonstop route is another milestone for San Antonio International Airport, which continues to offer more options to travelers.
For business travelers such as Stan Kluska, who had a three-hour layover before heading home to Delaware, the new service is a welcomed choice.
"Layovers are no good. You can get there and get where you need to be quickly," said Kluska, who was sporting a Philadelphia Eagle's hat. "One stop, no sitting around airports all day."
The City Of Brotherly Love already had direct flights out of San Antonio, but the flights were seasonal and not offered on a daily basis for the 120,000 travelers who fly the route annually.
Airport officials said that prior to Thursday, Philadelphia was their No. 1 underserved destination and adding flights there had been in the works for years. American Airlines officials said a lack of planes and pilots makes it a tough time for the aviation industry currently, but the decision reflects well on San Antonio.
"We take very serious looks at communities that are able to put together the economic wherewithal, and put the support together to make air service work," said Dale Morris, of American Airlines. "You have to be very strategic and very smart where you're putting your resources. Those economic indicators showed that it was the time to put this flight back in, and get people connected all over the world through Philadelphia."
The nonstop route to Philadelphia is among a string of new routes announced in the past seven months, including Raleigh-Durham, Colorado Springs, Orlando, New Orleans and Washington Dulles.
Nonstop flights to Oakland, Fort Lauderdale and Cancun were restarted.
San Antonio International Airport now offers service to 44 nonstop destinations, and has added 21 new flights in the past two years.
"We already know the city's growing, and the airport needs to be at the leading edge of the growth," said city aviation director Russ Handy.