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United Airlines Halts Service To And From Atlantic City After Just 8 Months

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - United Airlines is ending service to and from ailing Atlantic City after just eight months of serving the East Coast gambling resort.

The company issued a statement Friday saying the service between Atlantic City International Airport and Chicago and Houston is "no longer sustainable."

Flights to and from the airport began in April and were hailed by officials including Gov. Chris Christie as a key step toward bringing more visitors and business to Atlantic City. The resort has seen four of its 12 casinos go out of business so far this year, with a fifth likely to close next month.

The airline says service to and from Atlantic City International, which actually is located in nearby Egg Harbor Township, will end Dec. 3.

Between Atlantic City's Showboat, Revel and Trump Plaza all closing around Labor Day weekend this year, Atlantic County's September unemployment, at 11.4 percent, was a huge 1.3 percent jump from August. It marked the largest spike the county has seen in 25 years.

"Of course that's no surprise to the economy and I think some of our workers that were here are probably transitioning to other markets," Metropolitan Business and Citizen Association's Gary Hill told WCBS 880's Levon Putney last month.

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