Delta to end nonstop service between Rochester and Detroit
(THE MED CITY BEAT) - Delta Airlines will discontinue nonstop service from Rochester to Detroit this spring.
John Reed, director of the Rochester International Airport, told the Med City Beat on Monday that the last flight between the two cities will be April 9.
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Direct flights to Minneapolis, Chicago and Atlanta will not be affected by the decision. Delta Airlines began service from Rochester to Atlanta and Detroit in early September.
It's unclear exactly why Delta opted to discontinue service to Detroit. Reed, who has only been on the job for two weeks, mentioned a nationwide pilot shortage as a potential cause.
The airport reported a 6 percent increase in passengers from 2013 (223,791) to 2014 (237,432), but that was mostly due to the success of the Atlanta flight. Reed said flights to Motown averaged about 75 percent occupancy.
The loss of the Detroit flight will not have a major impact on the amount of one-stop connections between Rochester and other U.S. cities, Reed said. However, some international travelers will be affected.
Reed noted that it's crucial the community continues to use the Atlanta option, which connects Rochester to the nation's busiest airport.
"It's important that we concentrate on supporting the flight to Atlanta, and make that successful before we go out and look for new destinations," Reed said.
This is the second time in the past year that an airline has pulled a flight from the Rochester airport. Last April, Allegiant Air ended nonstop service to Arizona after about 18 months of operation.
The Rochester airport will add an extra flight to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in place of the Detroit flight.
(Cover photo: File / James / Creative Commons)
