Airline to offer direct flights from Ohio airport to Seattle

COLUMBUS (AP) — Alaska Airlines will offer daily nonstop flights between the capital city and Seattle in March when the airline joins the lineup at a Columbus airport.

Airport officials say it was a "top priority" to secure direct flights from John Glenn Columbus International Airport to Seattle, where both Alaska Airlines and Amazon.com Inc. are based. Service will begin March 7.

Columbus is one of 20 cities in the bid for Amazon's planned second headquarters. Mayor Andrew Ginther says he hopes the flights will increase trade between the two cities and "attract even more talented people to our region."

Columbus and Pittsburgh were the only two cities on Amazon's short list in January without direct flights to Seattle. Alaska Airlines will begin nonstop service between Seattle and Pittsburgh next month.