By John R. Roby
The Rocket City and the Big Apple are about to feel a whole lot closer.
Delta Air Lines is launching a daily direct flight from Huntsville International Airport to LaGuardia Airport beginning April 14, along with a daily return flight. The airline will operate the route on 76-passenger Bombardier CRJ-900 jets with available first-class seating.
“Our customers desire non-stop service to major destinations to enable them the convenience of doing business in a day if needed,” Port of Huntsville Chairman Trey Bentley said in a news release. “We continue to strive to add new markets and provide travel options for our customers.”
Delta is the No. 2 carrier serving HSV in terms of passenger volume, behind American Airlines. In October – the airport’s second-busiest month on record — 49,880 passengers arrived or departed aboard one of the Atlanta-based airline’s approximately 80 weekly flights from Huntsville, according to Port of Huntsville data. That total was 7.4% more than Delta flew in October 2023.
David Hart, Delta’s managing director for network planning, said the new route, “demonstrates our commitment to connecting Huntsville to more destinations, offering customers greater convenience and choice.”
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said the route is welcome news for both business and leisure travelers.
“Having received numerous requests for this service for many years, we expect the community will take full advantage of these non-stop flights to the Big Apple,” he said.
Landing a nonstop flight to the New York City was named as a goal in Huntsville airport’s 2025 strategic plan. In August, it applied for a $1 million federal grant to establish air service to New York, The Huntsville Times reported. Delta and Breeze Airways wrote letters in support of the application.
The federal Department of Transportation announced in October that HSV was one of 14 airports to secure one of the Small Community Air Service Development Program grants. It was the only awardee in Alabama.
The grant notice said HSV will use the funding “for a revenue guarantee and marketing to initiate and support new service to New York” and noted the route, “would provide significant benefits to [Huntsville’s] large aerospace and manufacturing base, as well as to the general public … [and] would help to address the community’s high airfares.”
An airport spokesperson declined to say whether the new service is a result of the grant award.
New York City will be HSV’s 15th nonstop route and has been the airport’s largest unserved domestic metro area.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport has daily Delta flights to LaGuardia Airport. Travelers who make the slightly longer drive to Music City can reach multiple airports in the New York City area. Nashville International Airport offers flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport on American, Delta and JetBlue; to LaGuardia on American, Delta and Southwest; and to Newark Liberty International Airport across the Hudson River in New Jersey on Spirit and United airlines.