Southwest Airlines Begins Daily Roundtrip Houston/Pittsburgh

Makes sense that Houston, the reigning champ as "energy capital of the world" and Pittsburgh, the challenger and on the ascendancy to the title, would have a direct airline flight between them. Until last weekend, there was one–United. United is now joined by a second direct flight every day: Southwest Airlines.

Southwest announced on Sunday they have begun a daily flight from Pittsburgh to Houston and back.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has launched a new direct flight from Pittsburgh International Airport to William P. Hobby Airport in Houston.

This is the first time nonstop daily Pittsburgh flights to Houston’s Hobby have been offered. Many Houston-based oil and gas companies have operations in the Marcellus shale region in Pennsylvania.

Southwest Airlines is building a $100 million international facility at William P. Hobby Airport and will begin operating flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and other Latin American destinations in 2015

The Pittsburgh-Houston schedule, which began April 14, includes daily flights from Houston departing at 1:35 p.m. and daily flights from Pittsburgh departing at 11:50 a.m.

"By welcoming new service into the Pittsburgh region, it demonstrates the value Marcellus Shale brings to the overall business climate of the region. This is yet another excellent example of the job growth natural gas development is fueling in the United States," Gary Smith, vice president and general manager of Houston-based EOG Resources Inc., said in a statement.*

*Houston (TX) Business Journal (Apr 15, 2013) – Southwest Airlines to offer nonstop flight between Pittsburgh, Houston