PLATTSBURGH — SkyWest Airlines will begin daily United Express jet service between Plattsburgh International Airport and Washington-Dulles International Airport on Aug. 29.

Bookings are available now on united.com.

“People are excited about this and I’ve talked to people who have already booked tickets,” Clinton County Legislature Airport Committee Chairman Robert Hall (D-Area 10, City of Plattsburgh) said.

Pen Air, which has been providing daily service to Boston for the past six years, will continue flights until SkyWest starts up.

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Twice-daily weekday flights

The new daily service is expected to provide Plattsburgh-area travelers seamless access to United’s global network via the airline’s Washington-Dulles hub.

“Access to excellent local air service means more choice and more convenience for Plattsburgh travelers,” Greg Atkin, SkyWest Airlines managing director of market development, said in a statement.

“We look forward to bringing SkyWest jet service to Plattsburgh and being a part of the community.”

Each of the twice-daily weekday flights from Plattsburgh to Washington-Dulles will be timed to provide maximum connection opportunities for both business and leisure travelers, the airline’s statement said.

Customers will also have the opportunity to accrue frequent flyer miles in United’s MileagePlus loyalty program. And with hundreds of daily United and United Express flights from Washington-Dulles, Plattsburgh travelers have access to destinations around the globe.

Plattsburgh passengers will enjoy service aboard the “quiet, comfortable” Bombardier CRJ200, according to the airline, which noted that SkyWest is a leading CRJ200 operator and has been named the manufacturer’s most reliable operator in North America five times.

“As one of the largest, most financially and operationally reliable regional air carriers in the United States, SkyWest has a proven track record of success in the communities they serve,” Clinton County Legislature Chairman Harry McManus said.

“The airport and air service are an important component to the economic development of the North Country, and the addition of this service presents a tremendous opportunity for the community.”

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EAS funding

SkyWest was chosen by the federal Department of Transportation to receive funding from the Essential Air Service program that funds airports in under-populated areas across the country.

The company was one of six airlines that bid for EAS funding to serve the Plattsburgh market.

They will receive about $6.7 million over the next two years.

Pen Air has been providing daily service to Boston under EAS funding for the past six years.

Hall said Pen Air, whose service was scheduled to end June 30, has agreed to stay on until SkyWest can get started in late August.

“We were hoping SkyWest could start earlier, but they needed to move some planes around, schedule pilots and flight attendants and it will take a bit of time,” Hall said.

“They wanted to do it right and that was the best time for them to start.”

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“Next step”

Customers may book flights immediately at united.com or by calling United Reservations at 1-800-UNITED1 (1-800-864-8331).

“This United Express service is already being embraced across the region by North Country employers, the region’s colleges and universities, and the Lake Placid area, which will now become accessible nationally and internationally via Dulles,” Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, said.

“This is the next step in the evolution of Plattsburgh International Airport, building upon several years of steady development and marketing aimed at eventually attracting such a major airline brand via a southerly hub conducive to both business and tourism. Let the bookings begin.”