UPDATE: CO-UA merger OKd; SW gets Newark slots
Southwest Airlines announced it would start service at Newark Liberty next March, a move that's great for NY area residents ... but it could draw some traffic away from PHL. Philly has drawn North Jersey residents since Southwest started here six years ago. Southwest is able to start at Newark after United and Continental, as part of its proposed merger, agreed to lease the Dallas-based carrier 18 pairs of slots. A takeoff and a landing is one pair. Read more about it here ..
UPDATE: CO-UA merger OKd; SW gets Newark slots
Tom Belden
Southwest Airlines announced it would start service at Newark Liberty next March, a move that's great for NY area residents ... but it could draw some traffic away from PHL. Philly has drawn North Jersey residents since Southwest started here six years ago. Southwest is able to start at Newark after United and Continental, as part of its proposed merger, agreed to lease the Dallas-based carrier 18 pairs of slots. A takeoff and a landing is one pair. Read more about it here ..
UPDATE: Here is the underlying story: The Justice Department approved the CO-UA merger, finding that there was too little overlap -- except at Newark -- of the airlines' routes to turn it down. The transaction still needs U.S. Department of Transportation approval. Will it be rubber-stamped with no further changes? Wait and see.
MORE UPDATING: Reregulation anyone? Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House transportation and infrastructure committee, who opposed the merger, said it's time to reregulate the airlines. With just four network airlines left, he raises again that question that should be of concern to all PHL travelers: Can a merger of US Airways and American be far behind?
Remember you heard it here first: PHL would make a good trans-Atlantic gateway for American, which is at a disadvantage already for getting connecting traffic from its domestic network through New York JFK to Europe. Yes, American has the tie-up wth British Airways approved that will give it more lift to Europe, particularly to London Heathrow. But its two (soon-to-be) larger rivals are bruisers, with foundations in the New York area. Delta is bigger than American at JFK and United is going to be even more of a behemoth at Newark after its merger with Continental.
What's the most interesting, provocative thought I've heard from an analyst related to US Airways and American? Wall Street has more respect for the way US CEO Doug Parker has turned the airline around than it has for the skills of any American executives. So, like the CO-UA merger, where the acquired (Continental) carrier's CEO (Jeff Smisek) gets to run the new combined entity, perhaps Doug will be movng to the DFW area someday to run American. Unless of course, the headquarters stays in Arizona or moves to a place on the East Coast with a good trans-Atlantic hub.
A much better option would be to (at long last) take up Allentown (ABE) on their desire for service. I'm worried that Southwest has forgotten their model...the one that got them where they are today. Trying to service airports like Boston Logan, EWR, and to some extent PHL, are taking them out of their niche and forcing them into situations where they don't have control.— akh- I agree with akh..Southwest is now going to bigger, busier airports, away from their model of success..ABE would be great if not for the lack of a lot of traffic...easy in,,easy out..that's Southwest..
- About the only MAJOR area left that SW has stayed out of is Atlanta. Besides that, you can get just about anywhere in the lower 48 states.— Jim McCloskey
- SW will never fly to ATL..too much traffic and too many weather delays
- Philadlephia international airport needs to ramp up its international seriice offering. The list is poor compared to New York, Atlanta and Boston, Chicago, Washington. Why are there no direct flights to the entire contintent of Asia and Africa. It lacks services to China, Africa, Japan, India, Duabai, Korea, to name a few. Why do we constantlly have to play catch up and last place. Improve the offering and expand the airpot. Why can't we attract Koran Air, Air China or Japan Airlines at a major US airport. It's terrible for a major city as Philadelphia.— knmcmahon
