Alaska Airlines to begin Seattle flights at Eisenhower airport today

Alaska Airlines will inaugurate its Wichita to Seattle service today.

The Seattle-based airline’s first flight is scheduled to arrive at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday.

It is scheduled to depart Wichita at 5:50 p.m. and arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7:40 p.m. PDT.

The once-daily, nonstop flight’s return leg departs Seattle at 11:45 a.m. PDT on Friday.

Alaska announced it would begin the Wichita-Seattle flights in early August 2016. Utah-based regional airline SkyWest will operate the flights using 76-seat Embraer E175 regional jets.

It’s the only nonstop flight from Wichita to Seattle. American, Delta, Southwest and United, all of which serve Eisenhower, offer indirect flights to Seattle.

Seattle is one of five hubs for Alaska. Between it and Virgin America, which Alaska acquired last year, the airline operates nonstop flights to 89 destinations from Seattle. Alaska’s other hubs are Portland, Ore.; Anchorage, Alaska; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.

Alaska vice president of planning John Kirby told The Eagle last month it’s customary for the airline to start service in a new city with a once-daily flight, with an expectation to add more in the future.

Alaska is also beginning new service to San Luis Obispo, Calif., on Thursday.

It will be the sixth airline serving Eisenhower.

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Alaska Airlines to begin Seattle flights at Eisenhower airport today."