A small carrier, Denver Air Connection, will launch service to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport next weekon a route between Atlanta and Jackson, Tennessee.
Starting Sunday, Denver Air Connection will fly between Atlanta and the small West Tennessee city with 30-seat Dornier 328 jets and 50-seat Embraer EMB-145 jets. The service is funded through the federal Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes certain routes to maintain a minimum level of airline service to eligible small communities.
The flights from Hartsfield-Jackson on Denver Air Connection will go to Jackson’s McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport, which has had flights to Atlanta operated by Southern Airways Express on nine-seat Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft. Denver Air Connection will replace Southern Airways Express service.
Denver Air Connection’s flights will be operated by Colorado-based charter operator Key Lime Air as regularly scheduled air carrier service. Officials say travelers from Jackson will have 12 flights a week on Denver Air Connection and will be able to connect in Atlanta to flights on other airlines.
Jackson’s mayor and airport officials recommended Denver Air Connection for the service, telling the U.S. Department of Transportation: “Our decision was thoughtfully made with the aim to connect our city with Atlanta via a reliable jet service provider.”
Jackson, located in Madison County in Tennessee, is about 85 miles northeast of Memphis. City and airport officials in Jackson have complained about poor reliability of previous Essential Air Service carriers, which prompted complaints from customers and made air travel unreliable, according to a DOT filing.
The officials added that they believe the flights on the larger aircraft “will significantly increase passenger traffic at our airport.”
“We are excited about the opportunities this partnership brings for our county’s continued development. You can get anywhere in the world from Madison County,” Madison County Mayor AJ Massey said in a written statement when the service was announced.
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