SUBHEAD: Northwest Airlines Announces New Shreveport-Detroit Jet Service

FEBRUARY 18, 2004: Customers at Shreveport Regional Airport will soon have a great new option for connecting to the United States and the world.

Northwest Airlines will begin Regional Jet service on direct flights to Detroit on May 3 aboard 50-seat Canadair Regional Jets. The expansion will provide Northwest with two daily departures and two daily arrivals between Shreveport Regional and Detroit. The new service will be in addition to Northwest's three existing daily flights between Shreveport and Memphis, Tenn.

"With the increased activity at the GM plant and with GM suppliers, it just makes sense to expand flights to and from Detroit,' says Shreveport Mayor Keith Hightower. "The city and airport authority were able to partner with governmental agencies and Louisiana legislators to make this happen."

"Direct flights to Detroit aboard Northwest Airlines is a great addition for customers who use Shreveport Regional Airport," said Raymond Alley, Chairman of the Shreveport Airport Authority. "Detroit has long been a key objective to secure for a hub service because of the great connections consumers can make in Detroit to more than 130 cities in the United States and throughout the world. This expansion will help businesses such as General Motors and its suppliers, as well as leisure travelers flying for vacations."

Chairman Alley credited the Ark-La-Tex region for its support in bringing the new service to Shreveport. The Airport Authority received a Small Community Air Service Grant from the Department of Transportation to help secure the new service. The grant was supported by community leaders in Shreveport, Bossier City, Minden, and East Texas.

"Thanks to the combined efforts of Mayor Keith Hightower and our region's elected delegation in Washington, the Shreveport Airport Authority developed a proposal that looked at our current airline service and our needs and created a plan with realistically achievable goals," Mr. Alley said.

Assistance for the Shreveport proposal was provided by Senator John Breaux, Senator Mary Landrieu, Congressman Jim McCrery, all of Louisiana; and Congressman Max Sandlin of Texas.

Additionally, numerous organizations contributed to the effort, including local chambers of commerce throughout the region,, area business leaders, the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourism Bureau, LSU-Shreveport's Center for Business Research, travel agencies and the Coordinating & Development Corporation.

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