OILVE BRANCH, Miss. – Southern Airways Express is expanding regional passenger service from Memphis, Tennessee.

The Olive Branch, Mississippi-based company said Thursday it is adding more flights to Atlanta and upgrading its Destin, Florida, service from seasonal to year-round.

Stan Little, Southern’s chairman and CEO, says Thursday in a statement that over next few weeks, the airline will offer new service to Knoxville and Chattanooga in Tennessee and to Madison/Jackson, Mississippi.

“We are very pleased to be restoring nonstop service from Metropolitan Memphis to three additional cities which the dominant carrier at Memphis International dropped as part of its cuts over the past few years,” said Little.

Over the coming four weeks, Southern Airways will initiate new service from Memphis to Knoxville and Chattanooga in Tennessee, and Madison/Jackson, Mississippi. The Memphis to Madison flights began Friday.

“Once again, they will be available by a 60- to 90-minute direct flight from Memphis,” said Little.

Southern will increase service to Atlanta/DeKalb-Peachtree Airport from five to six days per week starting Sunday. The Memphis-Atlanta shuttle will operate every day except Saturday. Atlanta’s PDK Airport will also see the addition of weekend flights to and from Oxford, Mississippi.

Little said flights from Memphis to Destin are not year-round. Weekend connections from Destin to Oxford also will be upgraded to year-round service, he said.

Service from Memphis to Chattanooga will begin Oct. 1; and Memphis to Knoxville service will launch Oct. 2.