It soon will be a bit easier to get to Moab, Utah, the jumping off point for Arches and Canyonlands national parks, if you prefer to fly there.

Beginning in mid-May Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., will begin air service from Canyonlands Field Airport just north of Moab to Page Municipal Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International.

"This connection to Page and Las Vegas is a great addition to our existing service. It will provide options for visitors and residents alike to access not only the Moab area but Las Vegas, Denver, and northern Arizona," said Moab Mayor Dave Sakrison.

"For many years the businesses in the Moab area have been hoping to develop an established flight to Las Vegas. This change in Great Lakes' flight schedule will have a significant impact," added Marian DeLay, executive director of the Moab Area Travel Council. "The community is eager to develop a greater tourism base and this is the change we need to make that happen. We are happy to see the changes and are anxious to begin working with the airline to establish higher enplanement numbers at Canyonlands Field."

Beginning May 15, scheduled flights on Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias or Raytheon/Beech 1900D jets will depart Moab for Page at 1:18 p.m. seven days a week and 8:58 p.m. Sundays through Fridays. The afternoon flight will continue on to Las Vegas.

Flights also will be available from Las Vegas to Moab, Moab to Denver, and Denver to Moab.

For more details, check www.flygreatlakes.com or call the airline's reservation's center at 800-554-5111.