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"Southwest Airlines has landed at the Portland International Jetport.Service began on Sunday, but on Monday, the airline and the Jetport held an official kickoff event for its new service.Click here for pictures from the ceremony.Many passengers said they have been waiting for years for this, while Jetport and city officials are hoping this will give them an economic boost.\"I am thrilled to death.\u00A0 I have waited 30 years for this,\" said Mainer Bonnie Wheeler, of Topsham.Last year, Southwest acquired Air Tran Airways, and Portland is now one of five new airports the airline is servicing.For years, the Jetport lost out on business as Mainers would travel to either Manchester, N.H., or Boston just to fly the airline.\u00A0 Now, more business can stay in Maine.\"We used to go to Manchester for Southwest, or I don't think they were in Boston very long, Manchester was the easiest because the parking over their was easy this way.\u00A0 My husband dropped us off, and we are all set to go,\" said Dorothy Stack, of Cape Elizabeth.Jetport officials said 1.7 million passengers traveled through their gates last year.\u00A0 Those with Southwest said they have a plan to increase those numbers even more.\"We increased the number of destinations you can get to by Portland, Maine, by 25 percent; going from 49 cities to 61 cities just by converting,\" said Southwest Executive Vice President Ron Ricks.Officials at the Jetport are optimistic that not only will they benefit from Southwest's presence, but so will the city of Portland.As part of Monday's celebration, a family with a child that has a rare genetic disorder got a free trip to San Diego through the airline and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.\"She is very excited.\u00A0 She knows, she has been counting down the days for a week now -- of where she is going,\" said the child's mother, Brittney Parker.Flights range in price from under $100 to more than $220."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wmtw.com/article/southwest-airlines-arrives-at-jetport/1995181>