Report Inappropriate Comments

Only airline running full-sized airplanes out of Green with an increase in passenger counts was USAirways. This is because Southwest dropped service to Philadelphia. All others, Southwest, Delta, and United reported lower enplanements for their full-sized fleets with Southwest reporting a 4% decline.

Now USAirways has reported to its shareholders that it plans to leave Philadelphia unless that airport cans its plans to extend a runway and drive up costs to airlines. This would devastate Philadelphia where three out of four planes using that airport are USAirways. USAirways did the same thing in Pittsburgh leaving that airport in financial ruin. Costs were too high there too after an unneeded expansion.

If USAirways pulls out of Philadelphia it will have a major impact on full-sized plane service at Green. As the Rhode Island Airport Corporation keeps raising its landing fees (based on the weight of full planes - even if they are empty) the airlines will all go away or convert to turboprops or regional jet service. This is not a theoretical. It is already happening at Green. The USAirways threat to end service to Philadelphia is just the tip of the ice berg.

From: Pressured for airport deal

Please explain the inappropriate content below.