Commercial airline service at the airport in Rochester continues to expand, with Delta announcing new flights between the home of the Mayo Clinic and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Starting July 5, a Rochester-to-Twin Cities flight scheduled for 5:45 p.m. will be offered, bringing to four the number of daily departures by Delta to the metro airport and a major jumping-off point for further travel.

"This new flight offers later outbound trips for travelers who like to depart Rochester after the business workday," John Reed, the Rochester International Airport's executive director, said in a statement last week announcing the new departure.

Also starting up on July 5 is a fourth flight from the Twin Cities to Rochester, that one scheduled for 10 p.m. takeoff.

On delta.com, the two new flights are priced at $259 each way for flights on the first day of service and fluctuate slightly depending on the day of the week.

In March, Delta announced additional service between Rochester and Atlanta.

United and American Airlines also fly in and out of Rochester. The airport was established in 1928 by the Mayo Clinic, which relies heavily on air service for its personnel and patients. The airport is owned by the city and operated by the Rochester Airport Co., a Mayo subsidiary.