In Charlotte, spin is more important that reality. That which is bad is actually good. And that which is irrelevant is also good. Like that CLT’s recently opened third parallel runway being the reason behind an uptick in flights this summer. As Guildmaster Morgan tells CBJ these additional flights are “are a great affirmation of the return on investment for the third runway.” And the implications are that more wondrous announcements are inevitable.

Wrong. Completely different dynamics at play, including a couple things the Uptown official spin completely ignores. Being the troublemakers we are, we will mention them. Again.

1. US Airways is restructuring down to its core strengths. Yes that might involve strengthening its biggest hub here in Charlotte. It most certainly does involve trying to add flights at Washington D.C.’s Reagan National airport through a slot swap with Delta. As proposed US Airways would have gotten 42 slots at DCA. As the airline stated in its press release announcing the proposed deal:

US Airways will operate 229 peak-day departures at DCA. Following full implementation of the new schedule, the airline anticipates its passenger enplanements at DCA will increase by 30 to 35 percent as a result of the new flights and use of larger aircraft.

The slot swap is in limbo. So what is the airline doing with the capacity that would have been added at DCA? For the summer, it’s here in CLT in the form of about 20 extra flights to existing markets. US Airways also added a few new markets, with the decision to add the most significant of these — Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta — being very obviously tied to the DOT’s reaction to the slot swap.

2. More generally, it’s hard to grow when you aren’t adding planes. And last fall, US Airways pushed back most of its airplane deliveries by three years. So whatever the service pattern looks like after the slot swap is all sorted out will be the new baseline for at least the next couple years. And there are some major limits in adding new markets from CLT.

Bonus laugh: CBJ on Electrolux coming to Charlotte from Augusta: “In Augusta, almost any trip requires a connection in Atlanta, making overnight stays on business trips all but mandatory.” US Airways flies CLT-Augusta six times a day.