PIERRE & WATERTOWN, S.D.(KCCR & KWAT)- Connecting to flights at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport from Pierre will be easier starting at the end of January.  Denver Air Connection Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy Jon Colman says years of communication with Delta Airlines has paid off.

Colman says getting a baggage agreement with Delta puts Denver Air Connection in rare company.

Colman is hopeful the Delta agreement will help boost the low ridership seen so far to M-S-P.

Airport Liaison to the Pierre City Commission Jamie Huizenga released at statement on the news Tuesday night saying the Delta announcement is big news for Denver Air and Pierre Regional Airport for the Minneapolis flights.  Huizenga says we’re hopeful the new agreement encourages more travelers to use Minneapolis as a connecting hub and not just as a destination for sporting events and family gatherings.

A feather in the cap for Denver Air Connection, the airline that serves Watertown.That’s how the airline’s Director of Business Development, Jon Coleman, describes the news Denver Air is announcing Tuesday.

They’ve secured an interline agreement with Delta Airlines.

For those who don’t fly frequently, Coleman describes what an interline agreement is.

Coleman says a regional carrier like Denver Air landing an interline agreement with Delta is somewhat unique.

Denver Air now has ticketing and baggage transfer agreements with three major carriers.

Denver Air flies direct from Watertown to Denver and Chicago, and last year, carried more than 15,000 passengers out of Watertown Regional Airport to those two cities.