By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Lambert Airport is continuing to add new flights to make up for massive cuts in the American Airlines schedule.
Airport officials said Monday Air Canada will begin three daily nonstop flights from St. Louis to Toronto starting September 1. United Airlines is also adding daily departures to Washington and Denver.
This brings to 11 the number of new flights announced in the last week.
The new service represents only about 5 percent of the departures that will be lost when American slashes its schedule November 1.
In order to avoid higher financing costs for Lambert's runway expansion, city officials must show bond rating agencies they are cutting operational costs and seeking new business.