It’s now a little easier for Edmontonians to head to the Big Apple, on Thursday, a U.S.-based air carrier started its non-stop service to the New York, out of the Edmonton International Airport.

Flying into the Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey - about 30 kilometres outside of Manhattan

The flight will leave at 7:30 a.m., six days a week.

A number of political and business officials were at the airport Thursday morning as the first flight took off; Alberta’s Tourism Minister said the new flight will be good for Alberta businesses.

“Direct air service between Edmonton and the New York area increases Alberta’s connectivity to the entire globe,” Minister Dr. Richard Starke said in a press release. “It opens up a world of possibilities for business – especially as we work to attract more visitors and potential investors to our province.”

Before this direct flight, EIA said more than 44,000 people had travelled between Edmonton and the New York area in 2012 – and according to officials, it was the most-requested non-stop destination before the airline announced the new service in December 2012.

This is the 13th direct destination in the U.S. now departing from the EIA.