American Airlines is beginning daily nonstop service between Phoenix and Roswell, New Mexico.
The new service scheduled to begin late Thursday was announced last November following years of negotiation with Roswell.
New Mexico Lt. Gov. John Sanchez says the new service will help economic development and the state's tourism industry, and his office said the service will provide connections to Western destinations as well as Canada and Mexico.
The Roswell Daily Record reported that the service was secured with a $1.2 million minimum revenue guarantee between American and Roswell, Artesia, Carlsbad, Ruidoso and Chavez and Eddy counties. The funding included a $450,000 federal grant.
Roswell previously provided a since-expired revenue guarantee to American for service to Dallas-Fort Worth, but it was not invoked because service generated sufficient revenue.
