Massachusetts

Cape Air to Offer Year-Round Service Between Boston and Portland

The four daily round-trip flights will begin in mid-September

Cape Air will soon begin offering year-round service between Boston's Logan International Airport and Portland International Jetport.

The Massachusetts-based airline announced Tuesday it will be offering four daily round-trip flights in mid-September.

The 46-minute trips will be made in nine seat Cessna 402s.

Non-refundable round-trip tickets will cost between $158 and $198, while refundable round-trips will cost $396. The airline will also offer discounted 10-trip commuter passes.

Cape Air spokeswoman Kelly Collopy says Portland has become a destination for all kinds of travelers and expects the people who will use the service to be a mix of business travelers, tourists, people seeking to avoid traffic, or those making a connection through Logan to another destination.

Mainers traveling to and from the Jetport and/or Boston said Wednesday they were excited Portland would be getting more air service but were skeptical if they would travel to Boston by air themselves.

"I would just drive to Boston," said a Portland man named Leo.

"I'll only take it if the price is comparable to the bus," said Mary Ellen Banton, of Brunswick.

Officials at the Jetport acknowledged a mindset shift would be required to convince many Mainers to pay the higher cost of flying. But they believe the demand is there and want to help Cape Air to attract as many passengers as possible.

"This is our opportunity to demonstrate we can fill their airplanes," said Zach Sundquist, assistant airport director for Portland International Jetport. "We're hopeful once we demonstrate that, demonstrate that the market will respond to Cape Air, they will consider adding additional non-stop destinations."

Sundquist listed Bangor, Bar Harbor and Provincetown as other destinations the Jetport may be interested in building connections to and said there's hope Portland would become "a secondary hub" or "focus city" for the airline.

Collopy says Cape Air's first priority will be making Portland service successful but the company would be open to looking at other routes to Portland in the future.

Service between Logan and Portland begins September 18. Tickets can already be purchased at www.capeair.com.

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