Gotta love US Airways spin on its proposed acquisition of Delta Air Lines. The Great Aviation Lie is that the deal goes through, it wouldn’t really impact Charlotte. A few banks of flights might go, but the hub is safe and flights would continue to all current destinations. It all sounds plausible enough — unless you know something about the airline indutstry, that is.

And now comes the other half of the spin: US Airways President Scott Kirby has stated that the airline is willing to give up gates at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport if necessary to obtain federal approval of the merger.

CLT is pretty gate tight at night and, surprisingly, on Saturdays (extra flights from the Carib using the D concourse gates that can be used for either international or domestic flights). It can accomodate some (few) more flights by existing airlines or new entrants but can’t easily support the 30 flights a day plus that Southwest might bring over time if they came to town. Of course, if the merger goes through with US having to give up gates (and more than just Delta’s two gates) — which was basically a predictable regulatory actions — then the carrier can say it’s dramatically downsizing because the feds made them do it, even if that was their plan all along…