Southwest Airlines Launches Pittsburgh-Houston Hobby Nonstop Flights

PITTSBURGH and HOUSTON, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh and Houston celebrate a new direct flight operated by Southwest Airlines from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston, which provides business travelers in the energy sector new travel options to the Energy Capital of the World.

"Travelers are now booking and flying new nonstop Houston Hobby flights on Southwest Airlines. The Houston, Texas market is vital for our business and leisure travelers and increasing the choices teamed with Southwest's competitive fares will be a great benefit to our region," said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive.

"This is the first time nonstop daily Pittsburgh flights to Houston Hobby Airport have ever been offered. The new nonstop service between Pittsburgh and Houston will provide our customers convenient connecting service to/from the east, west and gulf coasts," said David Minnotte, Chairman, Allegheny County Airport Authority.

"Customers will also experience our newly retrofitted 700-series aircraft with the Evolve interior on these routes. Southwest Airlines is building a $100 million international facility at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and will begin operating flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and other Latin American destinations in 2015," said Mike Gillock, Pittsburgh Station Manager, Southwest Airlines.

"By welcoming new service into the Pittsburgh region, it demonstrates the value Marcellus Shale brings to the overall business climate of the region. This is yet another excellent example of the job growth natural gas development is fueling in the United States," said Gary Smith, Executive Board Member of MSC and Vice President and General Manager, EOG Resources. EOG is one of the largest energy companies for oil and natural gas production in the country and is based in Houston.

"Our city's second largest airport, Hobby (HOU), has been serving the Houston community for more than 80 years," said Mario C. Diaz, Houston Airport System Director. "Located approximately seven miles south of downtown Houston, Hobby Airport is pleased to open our doors to Pittsburgh's air travelers. Southwest Airlines continues to find new business opportunities within Houston's thriving economy."

The PIT-HOU schedule will include one flight daily.  Monday through Friday, it will depart PIT at 11:50 a.m., arriving HOU at 2:00. p.m. Saturdays it will depart PIT at 9:15 a.m. and on Sunday depart PIT at 12:00 p.m. Returning from HOU to PIT:  Sunday through Friday, the flight will depart HOU at 1:35 p.m. and arrive at PIT 5:35 p.m. Saturday, it departs HOU at 10:35 a.m. and arrives at PIT 2:29 p.m. Flights can be booked at www.southwest.com.

Southwest and AirTran Airways currently operate up to 31 combined daily flights from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago Midway, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix and Tampa.

The new Houston Hobby service places Pittsburgh into the new international gateway hub in Houston connecting Pittsburgh with the growing Central and South American markets. The additional Houston Hobby service adds 20 connecting markets west of the Mississippi to potential Pittsburgh itineraries.  This new service includes connections to 25 daily flights between Houston Hobby and Dallas Love Field and 10 daily flights to New Orleans. Other connecting markets include Albuquerque, Austin, Corpus Christi, Denver, El Paso, Harlingen, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Little Rock, Midland, Kansas City, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, San Diego, San Antonio, St. Louis, and Tulsa.

About Houston Airport System:
The Houston Airport System served 50 million passengers in 2012. Houston's three airports contribute over $27 billion to the regional economy. Visit fly2houston.com/hobbyairport and follow us @HobbyAirport

SOURCE Houston Airport System