Flying direct from Columbia to this major city is getting more comfortable

Direct flights from Columbia to the Big D will get a lot more comfortable in a couple of months.

Beginning June 7, American Airlines will use bigger jets on its two daily flights to and from Dallas. American will switch from a 76-seat Embraer E-175 regional jet to a 140-seat McDonnell Douglas MD-82 main line jet.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport spokeswoman Lynne Douglas said the increased capacity was needed because of increases in passengers to and from Dallas, mostly by military and business travelers and as a connector to Asia.

"Dallas is a major market for us and a major hub for American Airlines," she said. "We have a large business-military population that connects in Dallas to other military bases in Texas. And Dallas is also a major connecting point for Asian travel."

Douglas also noted that passengers leaving Columbia to other destinations — called enplanements — have risen 3.63 percent to 45,911. for the first three months of this year over last year. People flying into Columbia — deplanements — are up 2.53 percent for the same period.

Airlines offer nine direct flights to major cities — Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport, Philadelphia, New York's LaGuardia. Airport, Charlotte and Atlanta.

This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Flying direct from Columbia to this major city is getting more comfortable."