Jet air service to Chicago off and running

Cape Girardeau entered the jet era last week.

As reported by Mark Bliss, Utah-based SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express, began round-trip passenger service from the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The 50-seat, twin-engine jets are now in service in Cape Girardeau.

United Express will provide 12 weekly round-trip flights, according to city officials, Bliss reported. The schedule includes one daily nonstop flight to and from Chicago and one daily round trip with a stop in Quincy, Illinois, on Monday through Friday.

"We are very excited about the ability to have jet service in Cape Girardeau and the ability to go to Chicago," airport manager Bruce Loy said.

This will be the largest aircraft to provide regular passenger service here since Ozark Airlines served Cape Girardeau nearly four decades ago.

United Express will replace Cape Air, which had been providing flights to St. Louis since November 2009 under the Essential Air Service program.

The new service provides an upgrade to the St. Louis flights, as it gives more opportunities to connecting flights in Chicago. It will take less than two hours to reach the Windy City.

Here's hoping that Cape Girardeau and regional residents will find the new flights useful. Good luck to United Express.