👋 Alissa and Tyler here. We're headed to North Carolina this morning for a retreat with fellow Axios Local reporters, so we thought it would be an opportune time to update you on local flights.

What's happening: Our two airports are offering more nonstop destinations than ever before, with about 50 routes served on 11 airlines.

Why it matters: As our region has grown in recent decades, so have options for air travelers — but the pandemic put some expansions on hold and led to some existing routes being canceled.

Yes, but: Things are looking up this year, thanks to recent flight additions at John Glenn International Airport (CMH) and an anticipated record number of travelers.

Flying the news: Much of the recent boost is attributable to Breeze Airways, a low-cost airline that launched here in summer 2021 and has since expanded to serve 10 nonstop destinations.

• And the growth continues, with Delta announcing last month that nonstop flights to Salt Lake City are returning June 7, 2024.

What's next: Planning continues on a new, larger and modernized terminal for CMH to accommodate the increase in air travel.

• Construction could start as early as next year on the $2 billion project, aiming for completion in 2029 for the airport's 100th anniversary, the Dispatch reports.

Meanwhile, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority is working to secure service to unserved in-demand destinations — particularly Portland, San Antonio and San Diego, spokesperson Sarah McQuaide tells Axios.

• Destinations that need more flights, such as Los Angeles, are also being targeted, along with more international destinations, such as Europe, she says.
• Currently, local travelers' only international nonstop options are Toronto and Cancún, Mexico.

Of note: The authority also oversees Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) in southern Franklin County. It's primarily a cargo airport but offers several flights to the south on Allegiant Airlines, though nothing new has been recently added.

Explore nonstop destinations

We couldn't help but notice that the destinations the airport is eyeing are all Axios Local cities, so we asked reporters there to make their case with a brief pitch.

What they're saying:

⛰️ Axios Portland: Portland is an easy gateway to the great outdoors — ancient forests, bountiful rivers and even two nearby volcanoes you can climb and ski down.

• But what makes it the best is its lively daily life, with diverse food carts aplenty, art at every turn and eccentric locals.

😎 Axios San Diego: Sixty years ago, San Diego journalist Neil Morgan wrote of his home, "we put living first." He's still right — whether you're traveling here for beaches, Balboa Park or business, you'll see San Diego has earned its laid-back reputation.

🏀 Axios San Antonio: Catch Columbus' own Malaki Branham in his second season with the Spurs, playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, the most buzzworthy draft pick since LeBron James (y'all might have heard of him).

• Not a sports fan? That's OK, there's a plate of the finest Tex-Mex waiting for you.

✈️ Where do you want to fly? Hit reply and tell us what routes you think our airport should add.

With flights to Salt Lake City returning next year, we also asked our friends at Axios SLC why Columbusites should book a trip.

What they're saying: Reporter Kim Bojórquez tells us the proximity to the outdoors and stunning mountain views are worth the flight.

Zoom in: The Utah state capital, home to more than 200,000 people, is one of America's fastest-growing cities.

• It's known for hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics, being home to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and features pro basketball (Utah Jazz) and soccer (Real Salt Lake) teams.

If you go: Check out these underrated parks, recommended by Axios SLC readers, and some other local travel suggestions.

If you haven't been following Ohio's new distracted driving laws, now's the time to start.

Driving the news: The law's temporary grace period is now over and police will start issuing citations.

• Fines start at $150 and get higher for each successive citation.

State of play: Drivers are banned from texting, scrolling and manually inputting GPS directions while moving.

Yes, but: You can still hold a phone to your ear during calls.

• Texting is allowed while parked or stopped at a red light.

💼 Check out who's hiring on our Job Board.

1. Vice President Global Quality & Regulatory at Safecor Health.
2. Director of Accounting (P&C Insurance) at Branch.
3. Treasury Manager at Quantum Health.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Use code FIRST50 for $50 off your first job post.

Ohioans are invited to help commemorate the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks' new designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Why it matters: This is only the 25th World Heritage Site in the U.S. and the first in Ohio.

The big picture: The Earthworks are a network of mounds built near Newark and across Southern Ohio.

• They were built between 1,600 and 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell Culture.
• The National Park Service and Ohio History Connection now maintain the sites.

What they're saying: "Their scale and complexity are evidenced in precise geometric figures as well as hilltops sculpted to enclose vast, level plazas," reads a description on the UNESCO website.

• "There are alignments with the cycles of the sun and the far more complex cycles of the moon."

What's happening: Free events are planned at four sites.

• Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, Oregonia: Programs and tours 9am-6pm Saturday and Sunday. Commemoration begins at 11am Saturday.
• Tremont Library, Upper Arlington: Ohio History Connection presentation 6:30pm Wednesday. Registration required.
• Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Chillicothe: Tours 9am-noon Saturday, Oct. 14. Commemoration begins at 1pm.
• Great Circle Earthworks in Heath and Octagon Earthworks, Newark: Tours and programs 9am-4:30pm Oct. 15. Commemoration begins at 1pm at Great Circle.