This is the second major addition in four days for Cleveland Hopkins, which is also gaining four weekly Frontier Airlines' flights to and from Denver starting Jan. 9, because of Frontier's decision to pull out of Akron-Canton Airport on Jan. 6.
View full sizeCleveland Hopkins International Airport will gain three more nonstops, to Nashville and Oklahoma City, because United Airlines is adding flights to and from those destinations in coming months. United now flies an average of 164 daily nonstops from Cleveland.United Airlines plans to add two daily nonstop flights to Nashville and one to Oklahoma City, Okla., from its growing hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
This is the second major addition in four days for Hopkins, which is also gaining four weekly Frontier Airlines' flights to and from Denver starting Jan. 9.
Frontier decided to pull out of Akron-Canton Airport on Jan. 6.
Robert Recker, senior vice president of marketing, communications and membership development for the Greater Cleveland Partnership, which is spearheading efforts to expand Cleveland's United hub, praised the new flights.
"This is great news for Cleveland passengers," Recker said. "It's exciting to see them adding service to two key markets from Northeast Ohio.
"Nashville is a growing economy in the Southeastern U.S. as well as a great leisure destination for travelers here in Cleveland. And the Oklahoma City flight is important to the growing shale industry here."
The Nashville nonstops, leaving at 8:55 a.m. and 5 p.m., will start Dec. 19. Return flights leave Nashville at 11:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Southwest Airlines also has two daily nonstops from Hopkins to Nashville, at 7 a.m. and 5:55 p.m.
The Oklahoma City nonstop, leaving at 8:40 a.m. and returning at 10:55 a.m., will start Feb. 14.
United Express will operate the new flights on 50-seat regional jets. United will sell seats on all six flights on United.com starting Saturday.
"United is pleased to link our Cleveland hub with Nashville and Oklahoma City as we continue to offer customers flights to the places they want to go," Jim Ferea, United's managing director domestic planning, said in a statement announcing the new service.
United now flies an average of 164 daily nonstops out of Hopkins.
"Nashville has the largest number of travelers among cities that United doesn't currently serve from Cleveland, and the Oklahoma City flights will support Northeast Ohio's growing energy sector," Ferea said.
Airport Director Ricky Smith said in a statement, "We're very pleased with United's continuing efforts to maintain and grow their Cleveland hub service."
United also announced that it will end its nonstop flights from Cleveland to Green Bay, Wis., starting Dec. 18, although passengers will still be able to connect to Green Bay through O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Follow me on twitter: @janetcho