It’s difficult to overstate the importance of a new air carrier coming back to Amarillo.

Delta Airlines, which used to fly from AMA to Dallas-Fort Worth airport, is about to start service between the Panhandle and Memphis (the one in Tennessee). The airline will commence with three flights daily between here and there, connecting travelers to points in the Midwest and the East. Delta also has non-stop service from Memphis to Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Why is this so important? Well, it stamps Amarillo as a place with still-tremendous growth potential. The airport reconstruction project is well underway. City Hall, which runs the airport, hopes to open a shiny new terminal in the summer of 2011 before knocking down the old one — which, to my eyes, doesn’t look all that bad.

Amarillo’s air service compares quite favorably with Lubbock, the other West Texas commercial/cultural/financial center. Delta’s return cements our city’s standing as a good place to do business.

I’ve always told folks that we’re just one stop away from any destination in the world. Delta’s return now gives Amarillo another one-stop getaway to Western Europe.

I’m betting we’re going to hear more good air travel news in the months ahead. Given all the grumbling about air travel these days, that should be welcome news indeed.