Delta Air Lines plans to introduce in June mainline Boeing 717s on eight of its 15 daily Delta Shuttle flights between Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports, replacing 76-seat Embraer E175s flown by regional partner Compass Airlines and resulting in 40 percent more seat capacity on its hourly nonstop service, the airline announced Monday.

The 717 upgrade on the West Coast shuttle marks the latest in a series of investments in the Los Angeles market by the airline. Last month it announced plans to begin daily nonstop service to Shanghai in July. Pending foreign government approval, seasonal service from Los Angeles to Managua, Nicaragua, will also begin this summer. Other new routes Delta and its regional partners recently opened out of Los Angeles include London-Heathrow in October; Dallas and Austin, Texas, in November; and Vancouver, Canada, in December.

Delta launched its hourly nonstop Delta Shuttle product from Los Angeles to San Francisco in September 2013 under contract with Compass. Once Delta introduces the 110-seat 717s on the route, Compass will continue to fly its E175s seven times a day.

“Our Delta Shuttle on the West Coast is designed to connect Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley and make doing business between Los Angeles and San Francisco easier, more enjoyable and more productive,” said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s vice president of sales for its western U.S. territory. “As we continue to grow in Los Angeles, upgrading to fuel-efficient 717s on a majority of our daily Shuttle flights is a logical next step in strengthening our position in this important market.”