U.S. carrier Alaska Airlines is adding a new transcontinental route during the summer 2024 season, offering nonstop service between San Diego and Atlanta.

The route connecting San Diego International Airport (SAN) and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) will commence on May 16, 2024, operating daily using Boeing 737-900 aircraft. The move will increase the airline’s network to 37 destinations from SAN.

“Not only are San Diego and Atlanta popular destinations for leisure travelers, but both are also major business hubs,” says Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning for Alaska Airlines. “We’re excited to connect the cities, especially since Atlanta is our largest unserved transcontinental market from San Diego.”

Flights will depart SAN in mid-morning and arrive in ATL in the late afternoon, with service returning to San Diego in the early evening. The times will allow for connecting flights within Alaska’s intra-California network.

Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that SAN-ATL is served by two carriers at present, with Delta Air Lines offering up to 7X-daily flights from its Atlanta hub and Southwest Airlines providing two roundtrips per week. Overall nonstop capacity totals some 18,874 two-way seats, with Delta commanding a 96.3% share.

Frontier Airlines also began operating daily service in May, although flights were paused earlier this month. The latest schedules data indicates the ULCC will return to the market in November.

Alaska Airlines currently offers just one route to ATL, flying 25X-weekly from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport using a mix of 737-9s and 737-900s. Meanwhile, it is the second-largest operator from SAN by capacity, with a 14.7% share of weekly departure seats, behind Southwest on 36.2%. Other transcon routes offered by the Oneworld alliance member from SAN include flights to Boston, New York John F. Kennedy, New York Newark, Orlando and Reagan Washington National Airport.