Audio clip
Mike Landguth
Citing beefed up passenger boardings to Detroit due to Volkswagen, Delta Air Lines plans to start nonstop flights between Chattanooga and the Motor City in September.
"We've seen an increase in customer demand for service between Chattanooga and Detroit, thanks in part to the new Volkswagen assembly plant scheduled to go on line in 2011," said Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter.
Guenther Scherelis, general manager of communications for Volkswagen's Chattanooga operations, said nonstop service to Detroit is welcome.
While VW moved its U.S. headquarters from the Detroit area to Herndon, Va., in 2008, it still has about 400 people in Auburn Hills, Mich., Mr. Scherelis said.
He said Auburn Hills handles parts of VW's purchasing and quality control, research and development, as well as technical support related to plant equipment. VW plans to start production in Chattanooga early next year.
Mr. Banstetter said the airline will offer its Delta Connection service on a 50-seat regional jet between Chattanooga and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
Lovell Field officials said flights will begin Sept. 7. Advance ticket purchases for the service begins Saturday at delta.com, according to the airline.
Mike Landguth, president of Chattanooga's airport, said the Detroit-Chattanooga air connection makes sense.
"It's an exciting time to get Detroit service, especially with VW and its regional impact," he said.
Mr. Banstetter said Delta is to launch flights from Detroit to Hong Kong and Seoul-Incheon, South Korea, and it has an application pending for nonstop service to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
In June 2008, Northwest Airlines started nonstop service between Chattanooga and Detroit, but it fell victim to airline consolidation and high jet fuel prices after only a month, Mr. Landguth said.
"It didn't have a chance to get established," he said.
DETROIT ROUTE
Flights will take off from Detroit at 8:35 a.m. and arrive in Chattanooga at 10:05 a.m. From Chattanooga, planes will depart at 9:55 a.m. and land in Detroit at 11:25 a.m.
Mike Pare, the deputy Business editor at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, has worked at the paper for 27 years. In addition to editing, Mike also writes Business stories and covers Volkswagen, economic development and manufacturing in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. In the past he also has covered higher education. Mike, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida Atlantic University. he worked at the Rome News-Tribune before ...
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