Winter escapees gain new direct flights to Key West from Chicago and Philadelphia

The first direct flights to Key West from Chicago and Philadelphia arrived Saturday, where passengers were greeted with hats and a water cannon salute.

American Airlines now operates nonstop round-trip flights from Key West International Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport. Both routes will operate on Saturdays through the end of August 2019.

“Both planes were full of people who were thrilled to be in Key West,” said Richard Strickland, Monroe County’s director of airports. “We are very excited to have American Airlines provide nonstop service to each destination further connecting Key West directly to American Airlines’ network.”

Key West International Airport already provides nonstop round-trip service to Charlotte, Newark, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa.

The airport reported a 14 percent growth in total passengers in 2018.

This story was originally published February 19, 2019 at 12:32 PM.

Taylor Dolven

Miami Herald

305-376-2052

Taylor Dolven is a business journalist who has covered the tourism industry at the Miami Herald since 2018. Her reporting has uncovered environmental violations of cruise companies, the impact of vacation rentals on affordable housing supply, safety concerns among pilots at MIA’s largest cargo airline and the hotel industry’s efforts to delay a law meant to protect workers from sexual harassment.