Alaska Airlines will launch service between its Seattle (SEA) base and Cleveland (CLE) from June 16, 2022.

The flights will operate daily with a Boeing 737 aircraft. Alaska says its existing service from SEA to both Cincinatti (CVG) and Columbus (CMH) in Ohio will ramp up from daily to 2X-daily.

“Next summer, we're currently scheduled to be the only airline connecting Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus with nonstop service to the [US] West Coast,” Alaska says in a statement. “We're also set to have the most flights between the West Coast and Ohio.”

Alaska VP of network and alliances Brett Catlin adds: “Ohio is an economic powerhouse with a vibrant cultural and corporate scene that's underserved and primed for growth as we emerge from the pandemic. Adding Cleveland to our network furthers our investment in the Buckeye State while adding an important nonstop link between Northeast Ohio and the Puget Sound.”

Alaska executives say the carrier is seeing renewed momentum in bookings this fall and is holding to a target of restoring 2019 capacity levels by the 2022 summer. “Pent up leisure demand” is bringing passengers “back to the sky,” CEO Ben Minicucci told analysts and reporters, adding: “We’ll reach our pre-COVID size no later than next summer and then grow from there.”

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