Alexander Alusheff

Lansing State Journal

LANSING - American Airlines' daily non-stop flights from the Capital Region International Airport to Washington, D.C. will begin on July 5, officials announced today.

Flights will leave Lansing at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays and Sunday's and arrive at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at 8:04 a.m. The return flight leaves D.C. at 5 p.m. and arrives in Lansing at 6:53 p.m. On Saturdays, flights leave Lansing at 9:05 a.m. and arrive in D.C. at 10:39 a.m. The return flight leaves D.C. at 3:20 p.m. and arrives back in Lansing at 5:10 p.m.

"You can conduct business for an entire day and still arrive home at a decent time," said Mark Tochman, corporate sales manager for American Airlines, during a press conferences at the airport. "We're very excited to come into the market."

Flights will carry 76 passengers with nine first-class seats and 67 main-class seats, Tochman said.

The D.C. route is expected to generate $16 million in economic impact annually for the region, according to a 2015 study by Trillion Aviation Inc., an airport consulting firm.

"A vital Lansing means a vital airport as well," said Tim Daman, president and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Tochman also announced that flights from Lansing to Chicago O'Hare International Airport will start on Aug. 23. Schedules have not been set yet.

"This shows our commitment to the Lansing area," he said.

The D.C. connection will last for two years.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration approved American Airlines' bid for the route last month. Prior to that, the airport was facing a $1.3 million shortfall for its 2017 budget, which starts in July, due to the loss of Sun Country and Allegiant Air. Airport officials had said the return of the D.C. flight will help bridge that budget gap.

"We're going to be working very hard to get people on these flights so at the end of the two-year period, we can demonstrate that we deserve this service," said Robert Selig, president and CEO of the airport.

Contact Alexander Alusheff at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.