ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996                  TAG: 9607020038
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS 

2ND AIRLINE USES JETS IN ROANOKE

Comair, a regional airline feeding Delta Air Lines, on Monday began jet service at Roanoke Regional Airport.

The airline, operating as the Delta Connection, upgraded one of its four daily flights between Roanoke and its Cincinnati hub to a 50-passenger Canadair jet, making it the airport's second jet carrier, joining USAir. Other carriers use use propeller-jet planes in Roanoke.

Some passengers feel more comfortable on jets, said Jacqueline Shuck, the airport's executive director. Shuck said she hoped the flight would be successful enough for Comair to add an afternoon jet flight in the fall.

Monday morning's flight carried 14 passengers from Cincinnati. The return trip carried 17.

Susan Ossim, a Comair spokeswoman, said the airline expected few passengers this week because of Thursday's holiday. Thirty people are booked on today's jet from Roanoke to Cincinnati.

Theresa Bentz of Lansing, Mich., who was on Monday's inbound jet flight, called it much better than the prop-jet flight from Michigan to Cincinnati.

Shuck said a Comair official has told her he expects the airline to be operating all jets by 2000.

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