Direct flights between Albany, Buffalo cut: Commutair service will come to end July 7, in surprise announcement.

Byline: Eric Anderson

Jun. 20--COLONIE -- Albany will lose direct air service to Buffalo on July 7 when Commutair ends its daily Continental Connection flights between the two cities.

A spokeswoman for Continental Airlines confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the service would end, but that Continental Express would continue to fly from Albany to its hub airports in Newark and Cleveland.

Calls to Commutair, which also is seeking to end service in Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake, weren't returned. The airline is buying larger, 37-seat aircraft to replace its 19-seat planes and previously said demand on routes out of the North Country wasn't sufficient. …