Red Carpet send-off for inaugural RDM-LAX flight

The opportunities for economic development, the ease for business travelers — we’ve told you how excited community leaders are for the new flight from Redmond to L.A.

But Thursday, the first flight was more about vacation.

“”I’m going to a wedding and to See my granny,” said a girl waiting to board the plane.

With many local schools out for the summer, it’s time for traveling — and a faster way to Disneyland.

“We were probably one of the first tickets,” said a Bend father with his family. “We booked the day they started selling them, so we’re pretty excited and plan to use it a lot, hopefully.”

And with the red carpet, the cameras, you could say these passengers took off in style.

There was even a water-cannon salute from the Redmond Fire Station before taking off.

Business and community leaders around Central Oregon gathered at the airport to talk about the new American Airlines non-stop service to LAX.

There were speeches about how the new flight is good for the economy and for business development on the High Desert.

And the airline is pretty confident as well

“The advanced bookings are beyond our expectations — we’re heavily booked throughout the summer,” said American Airlines spokesman Gregory Ricketts.

If demand continues to grow, Ricketts said, the airline will consider adding additional flights — meaning there could be further expanded opportunities for business, Granny and Disneyland.