WORCESTER - The gate agents in Philadelphia apparently need to work on their pronunciation of “Worcester.” But other than that, all was pretty smooth flying for the inaugural American Airlines flights connecting Philadelphia and Worcester Regional Airport.

“They were saying ‘Wor-chester,’ ‘Wooster,’ all the usual stuff, till some guy shouted out ‘Worcester!,’ " reported Nick Parker of Mendon, who flew on the inaugural flight from Philly to Worcester on Thursday. “But it was a great flight, uneventful, and I would definitely do it again.”

A water-cannon salute and cheers from Massachusetts Port Authority and American Airlines officials greeted the first American Airlines plane from Philadelphia as it landed on time at Worcester Regional Airport on Thursday afternoon. (The return flight to Philly departed about 20 minutes late.)

The plane was the first of twice-daily nonstop service between the Heart of the Commonwealth and the City of Brotherly Love provided by American Airlines, the world’s largest airline. The service will connect Worcester customers to more than 115 destinations in more than 20 countries across American’s network.

The flights are scheduled to depart Worcester at 5:41 a.m. and at 4:39 p.m. and to arrive at Philadelphia at 7:09 a.m, and 6:09 p.m., respectively. Returning flights leave Philadelphia at 2:53 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to arrive at Worcester airport at 4:14 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., respectively.

“Start packing your bags. This is an exciting day for all of us at American Airlines,” said Darryl C. Towns, regional director of government affairs at American, in a brief ceremony before the first plane arrived Thursday afternoon.

Andy Davis, Worcester Regional Airport director, agreed.

“This is a very momentous day,” Mr. Davis said, reporting a “full gamut of opportunities” that the flights open up. “It makes a region like Worcester that much more vibrant.”

The special occasion caught a few travelers who had been rerouted to Worcester off guard.

“I didn’t realize how special a day it was ... until we landed and saw the dignitaries and cameras,” said Jim Roy of Chicopee, who originally planned to fly into Hartford, until his flight was canceled.

Landon and Katie Carrier of Lexington, Kentucky, with daughter Luca, also chose to fly to Worcester when a connection was rerouted to Philadelphia and all the Philly-to-Boston flights were full.

“We were lucky. We kind of fell into it,” said Mr. Carrier. But he said he was impressed with the flight. “It was nice; it was very fast. This is a really nice airport - quaint.”

Mr. Parker was aware there might be some fuss. He flew down to Philly from Logan International Airport in Boston on Wednesday, but chose a closer option to home for his return trip.

“It’s a lot easier for me,” Mr. Parker said, noting he spent 1½ hours on the Massachusetts Turnpike in an Uber to get to Logan. “It’s also more than half as cheap to park here than Logan. ... I go to Philly, the Baltimore-DC area, a few times a year. I think I’ll use this.”

In fact, Mr. Parker reported that the flight to Worcester was oversold, which he called a sign of “a good deal for the city.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Towns suggested that with the growing population and vibrancy of Worcester and Central Massachusetts, there could be more inaugural flights to come.

“This is the beginning ... this is the first step to what may be a lot of steps in the future,” Mr. Towns said. “Hopefully we’ll see each other soon with some other announcements.”