American Airlines will be making nonstop flights between New York and Tucson.
The Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Air Service Task Force has successfully negotiated adding nonstop flight service between Tucson and New York City’s JFK International Airport with American Airlines.
Tuscon was the largest U.S. city without nonstop service to the New York metro area.
The first inbound flight from JFK will arrive in Tucson on Oct. 6 and return to JFK the following morning. Daily service will depart Tucson at 7:57 a.m., arriving in New York at 4 p.m., in time for international connections. Return flights will depart JFK at 5 p.m. and arrive in Tucson at 7:29 p.m.
The new nonstop service is expected to have an impact on both business and leisure travel. Visit Tucson estimates that between 2012 and 2014 Tucson lost 49 meetings and conventions equaling 39,000 hotel room nights when meeting planners specifically cited air service as a reason to choose locations other than Tucson.
The Chamber’s Air Service Task Force was led by Bill Assenmacher, CEO of CAID Industries. Assenmacher and the task force secured financial support from local businesses and organizations to create a $3 million revenue guarantee for American Airlines in the event that load factors fall below a minimum level. This is a common practice used by cities around the country to gain new air service routes.