John Tuohy

john.tuohy@indystar.com

Add Boston and Los Angeles to the growing roster of cities that are a nonstop flight away from Indy.

Southwest Airlines announced Wednesday it will fly twice a day to Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts and once daily to Los Angeles International Airport in California.

Airline officials said the flights were added because business travelers demanded them.

"The business community told us these were two cities that it really needed," said Dan Landson, a Southwest spokesman.

Michael Wells, president of the Indianapolis International Airport board of directors, agreed, calling the flights "a significant expansion of flight service into key business markets for our airport."

The airport now has an average of 37 daily nonstop flights and a handful of other nonstops that aren't daily. It's the highest number of nonstop destinations for the airport in five years.

In November, Southwest added Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., as a nonstop daily. In June 2012, it added two flights a day to Houston Hobby Airport.

Southwest already has 33 nonstop flights a day leaving Indianapolis for 12 cities, including Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and three Florida airports.

"(These) will expand our reliable and convenient air travel to both the East and West coasts," Mario Rodriguez, executive director with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, said of the new flights.

The Boston and LA additions continue a recent roll of expanded routes for the airport.

Last month, Allegiant Air announced nonstop flights from Indy to New Orleans, Las Vegas and three Florida locations: Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg and the Fort Myers-Sarasota area.

In addition, Indianapolis International Airport was recognized as the best in the country last month by CondéNast Traveler, a national travel publication, and the airport recently received an award for its green energy initiatives.

The airport has done a commendable job in providing nonstop service to major cities, said Mark Moorehead, owner of The Travel Agent in Carmel.

"Nonstops are critical to business travelers, because they reduce the risk of delays due to weather or mechanical breakdowns," Moorehead said.

Southwest officials and airport officials would not say whether more nonstops were planned for Indy next year, but Moorehead said that could be in the works.

"With fuels costs low, all carriers are vying for a spot in the marketplace," he said. "The big three are reinvesting in equipment, so this might be a good time for airlines like Southwest to pick up routes."

The flights to Boston and LA will begin in June.

Southwest is offering special pricing on the routes through Monday for travel on June 7 through Aug. 6, 2015. One-way fares to LA are as low as $139 and flights one-way to Boston can be purchased for as low at $89. Visit Southwest.com to book the flights.

Call Star reporter John Tuohy at (317) 444-6418 and follow on Twitter @john_tuohy.