PORTLAND (AP) — Southwest Airlines has announced that it will start offering nonstop flights between Portland and Orlando early next year.

The airline said in a release that the “seasonal route” will be on Saturdays starting March 11.

The Portland International Jetport previously had a nonstop flight to Orlando on AirTran. That flight ended in April 2012. AirTran merged with Southwest in May 2011.

Airport Director Paul Bradbury told The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/16NqaJf) that Orlando is the third-most-popular destination for passengers flying out of Portland, after the Washington, D.C., area and the New York City area.

The jetport has had a slight increase in passenger traffic.