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Delta Air Lines will start daily nonstop flights between Chattanooga and New York City in July, becoming the second carrier from Lovell Field to offer the service to that key market. The Delta service, slated to start July 10, sets up head-to-head competition for trips to the New York City area, which is the No. 1 market for Chattanooga fliers.

Delta Air Lines is expanding its presence in Chattanooga, adding a non-stop route to its hub at New York LaGuardia. 

Air maintenance firm West Star, already undergoing an expansion to reach a goal of employing 225 workers by 2020 at the airport, is eyeing additional expansion at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport to increase its footprint and employment by redeveloping the vacant, 13-acre former Air National Guard site.

Delta boardings soared nearly 8 percent higher last year than in 2016 as the Atlanta-based airline's share of air traffic in Chattanooga is up almost 30 percent from a decade ago, figures show. Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, which boarded more people than ever in 2017, also saw its airlines gain passengers with Delta Air Lines surging and claiming nearly half of all traffic.

West Star Aviation has finalized its Service Center agreement with Embraer Executive Jets at its full-service state-of-the-art maintenance facility at the Chattanooga Airport. The Chattanooga facility will offer Embraer Base Maintenance for interior refurbishment, avionics, avionics installation and repair, inspections, part services, and engine inspections on Phenom 100/300, Legacy 450/500 and Legacy 600/650 aircraft.

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport has set a new annual record for passenger boardings after just 11 months, which officials said Monday could bolster their case for wooing more airline service. With December's boardings still to be counted, the airport already has sped past last year's mark — which also was a record — of 419,059 passengers.

With a new annual high expected this year for passenger boardings, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport officials are looking at the possibility of bringing back an observation deck for non-fliers.

Boardings are up nearly 18 percent through September over last year to 353,549 passengers, airport figures show.

The Chattanooga Airport is projected to have over 700,000 flights by the 2030s, consultants developing a 20-year master plan said Tuesday.

The Chattanooga Airport is embarking on the third and final phase of its solar farm, which when completed will allow the Airport to "go off the grid."

Higher traffic at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is spurring officials to consider expanding the passenger concourse and boosting parking, and they're pursuing seasonal nonstops to Destin, Florida. Also, the record passenger boardings at Lovell Field have helped earn airport chief Terry Hart a new six-year deal.