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American Airlines Adds Nonstop Portland-Chicago Route

Wilfredo Lee
/
Associated Press
In this Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, file photo, a pair of American Airlines jets are parked on the airport apron at Miami International Airport in Miami.

American Airlines will soon add nonstop jet service from Portland to Chicago O’Hare.

Portland International Jetport Assistant Director Zachary Sundquist says American will start twice daily Chicago flights beginning June 7.

“We already have Chicago O’Hare service with United. But one of the things that we get requested a lot by many of our business partners is additional westbound capacity,” he says. “Many of our business travelers don’t like flying south an hour or two to then start flying west.”

Sunquist says right now, American is scheduled to run its Portland-Chicago service through October. Portland Airport officials are hopeful it will continue year round.

The new Chicago service will bring to five the number of nonstop destinations operated by American, which will add service to New York LaGuardia beginning in April.

Ed is a Maine native who spent his early childhood in Livermore Falls before moving to Farmington. He graduated from Mount Blue High School in 1970 before going to the University of Maine at Orono where he received his BA in speech in 1974 with a broadcast concentration. It was during that time that he first became involved with public broadcasting. He served as an intern for what was then called MPBN TV and also did volunteer work for MPBN Radio.