United to end Topeka-Chicago flights in September

? A Topeka official says United Airlines will end flights between the Kansas capital and Chicago on Sept. 2.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority President Eric Johnson made the announcement Wednesday. There have been twice-daily flights since January.

Topeka will have no regularly scheduled commercial flights. Before the United service started, the last commercial service was to Las Vegas through Allegiant Air in 2007.

United reported that Topeka passengers filled 49 percent of the available seats, compared with 86 percent for all of United’s flights to Chicago.

Also, the Topeka airport authority burned through the $1.95 million in state and federal funds it received to guarantee United’s revenues by the end of May, forcing the airline to cover shortfalls after that.