The arrival of Southwest Airlines in Portland, Maine, is expected to give a boost to the number of travelers using the Portland International Jetport.

Paul Bradbury, airport director, said the terminal expansion was designed with a passenger increase in mind, and he believes Southwest will mean more passengers.

The sale of Airtran to Southwest was completed in May, and Southwest announced Friday it was eliminating Airtran service from Portland and 14 other cities.

In Portland, the service is being replaced by Southwest. Bradbury tells the Portland Press Herald that Southwest passengers are extremely loyal, and now they can fly from Portland instead of traveling to Boston or Manchester, N.H.

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