HARLINGEN — Delta is making a comeback.
Valley international Airport officials announced Wednesday that Delta Air Lines will begin service between Harlingen and Minneapolis on Feb. 16.
Delta had previously only been active at VIA in providing seasonal flights. Once they start, Delta will be offering six or seven flights a week to its Minneapolis hub.
The news of Delta’s commitment is a welcome change for the airport, which saw Mexico carrier Viva Aerobus pull out of the market, followed by Frontier Airlines.
“They are actually coming back, which is great. But it’s also the first time we have them here in a long time because it’s truly Delta’s mainline,” said Nicolas Mirman, director of air service and business development at VIA. “It’s not a regional jet, a regional airline operating for them. It’s true Delta, their aircraft, their crews, and obviously we’re super excited about that.”
The new Delta flights will operate with larger aircraft than the small regional jets used previously. The Airbus 320, which will fly the route, has 157 seats and three class configurations.
“We are very excited by Delta’s decision to service the Rio Grande Valley with bigger mainline aircraft, and we will work closely with our partner to ensure success,” said Marv Esterly, director of aviation at VIA.
The new Delta flights will increase options for winter Texans flying to and from the Upper Midwest.
“We would like to welcome all Winter Texans from the Midwest and beyond to come enjoy our warm winter climate this season,” added City of Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda.
Mirman said the new Delta schedule will bring three options into play for Winter Texans — American Airline’s Saturday flights to Chicago, Sun Country Airline’s flights to Minneapolis and Delta’s Minneapolis route.
“It’s the first time we have three carriers bringing passengers from the Upper Midwest as well,” he said. “It’s also the first time having more than 25,000 seats from the Upper Midwest to the Rio Grande Valley between January and May, and that is good.
“That is an opportunity for the region,” he added. “Twenty-five thousand people flying from there to stay the winter here means north of $30 million in an economic boom for the future.”
