Contour to service Veterans Airport near Marion, Illinois

Contour Airlines will be the jet service of another regional community starting Tuesday, Aug. 1.

The City of Carbondale, Illinois, announced, through a collaborative effort with the City of Marion, Illinois, and Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, it had secured jet service from the airliner to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

"This is a big deal for Southern Illinois, connecting the region to Chicago and vice versa," a Facebook post from Carbondale said. "As a result, we anticipate a boost in local tourism and regional business recruitment."

Contour will operate 12 flights a week from Veterans Airport to Chicago. The flight time is less than an hour.

The Southern Illinois airport joins the numerous other airports across the country — including Cape Girardeau Regional Airport — that have transitioned to Contour's service. Cape Air is the current airliner and will still operate flights to and from the airport until August.