New flights starting between Orlando and Rio

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Connections between Orlando, Florida and Brazil are growing.

LATAM Airlines Brazil said last week that it will start a new service between Orlando and Tom Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro.

Airlines officials said this was one of the few main routes between the U.S. and Latin America without nonstop service.

The flights between the two cities will operate three times a week.

The new service starts in July.

Around the same time LATAM is starting service between Orlando and Rio, the airlines says it is ending flights between Rio and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

LATAM says the decision was made after evaluating demand.

Passengers with tickets for flights between Rio and New York after June will be transferred to other flights if they want.