Like only a 1 percent to 2 percent reduction in its Charlotte hub. So says the Observer, based upon an interview with Doug Parker, US Airways’ chairman and chief executive.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. As Parker said:
Charlotte has been one of the real jewels of the US Airways system. In good times, we do well. In bad times like this, we do less badly than other places.
Of course, you gotta understate US Airways. America West (HP) bought US Airways while the latter was in bankruptcy with the combined airline keeping the US Airways name. HP was based in Phoenix with a secondary hub in Las Vegas. As such, they were in a cage match with the 800-pound gorilla of the U.S. Airline industry. Phoenix and Las Vegas are also, respectively, Southwest Airline’s biggest and third largest stations. That’s a can’t win situation — so America West decided to get out of the cage by buying another established airline elsewhere in the country.
And now its flights at both LAS and PHX are being cut back.
And when the Observer says:
Thanks to a big chunk of business travelers and a smooth-running hub airport, Charlotte will see only a few flight cuts this fall…
The “smooth-running hub airport” line is in comparison to US Airways’ second largest hub in Philadelphia. PHL is poorly designed and very delay prone as a result.
