Delta Air Lines to launch direct flights from Spokane to Atlanta in July

Atlanta-bound Spokane travelers had their journeys made easier with Delta Air Lines’ announcement Monday that it will offer nonstop service between the cities.

Beginning July 6, Delta will offer daily flights to the city – the farthest flung nonstop service offered at the airport. A flight will leave Atlanta at 7: 50 p.m. and arrive in Spokane at 10:05 p.m. A flight will depart Spokane at 10:45 p.m., and arrive in Atlanta at 6:25 a.m. the following day.

With Atlanta, the Spokane International Airport will have nonstop flights to 19 destinations. It is the fifth destination for Delta, joining Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

“We are thankful to Delta Air Lines for their continued expansion in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene market with this strategic decision to link our community with their Atlanta hub,” Spokane airport CEO Larry Krauter said in a news release.

Atlanta is the main hub for Delta, one of 18 major carriers in the U.S. with annual revenue topping $1 billion. According to an article on ThePointsGuy.com, a sponsored travel news website, the airline is focusing on building business at its “coastal hubs” of Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The Spokane flight – announced with similar routes from Atlanta to Boise and Memphis – is part of that strategy.

Michael Senske, CEO of Spokane’s Pearson Packaging, said in a statement his business would be helped by the direct connection to Atlanta, which is one of its “largest markets.”

“The Atlanta nonstop will greatly improve our access to customers from a sales and service perspective and allow us to much more quickly respond to their needs,” he said.

Delta isn’t alone in increasing its daily Spokane connections. Alaska Airlines will offer nonstop service to San Francisco and Los Angeles next year, and United Airlines will fly directly to Houston beginning in June.

Spokane International had more than 3.9 million passengers in 2018. Other nonstop service includes Boise, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Everett, Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego and San Jose.