bnrdad
Oct 18, 04, 12:04 pm
US Airways Announces Plan
To Overhaul Flight Schedules
Associated Press
October 18, 2004 12:31 p.m.
ARLINGTON, Va. -- US Airways Group Inc. said Monday it will change its flight schedules in February to increase departures from its Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia hubs and create a minihub in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The schedule changes that take effect Feb. 6 are part of the bankrupt airline's previously announced plans to transform itself from a traditional hub-and-spoke carrier into a low-cost airline like JetBlue Airways or America West Holdings Corp.
US Airways will retain its hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, but arrival and departure schedules in Philadelphia will be changed to provide a steady flow of flights throughout the day, rather than using the peak and off-peak hours that are typical of a traditional hub-and-spoke network.
The new schedule in Philadelphia will allow for greater efficiency and flexibility, the airline said. Total daily departures from Philadelphia will increase to 495, up 7% from November's schedule and 32% more than in February 2004.
Charlotte will continue operations as what the airline calls a "modified hub-and-spoke" system, with 564 daily departures beginning in February, compared with 495 currently and 464 in February 2004.
US Airways previously announced plans to sharply cut service in Pittsburgh in November, dropping the city from hub status to a "focus city." The airline said Monday it expects 229 daily departures to 67 destinations in February; the airline currently has about 370 daily departures out of Pittsburgh.
On Feb. 13, daily departures from Fort Lauderdale will double to 54 from 27, as the airline seeks to expand its profitable network in the Caribbean.
Overall, the February schedule changes assume a fleet of 281 mainline jets and 169 smaller, regional jets. The airline received authority in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday to drop below a minimum of 279 mainline jets that had been part of the airline's collective bargaining agreements with its unions.
An airline official said Monday that the company's transformation plan has always been based on a fleet of about 280 jets and the airline simply wants the ability to downsize if future market conditions demand a reduction.
The airline has also been implementing a reduced, simplified fare structure throughout its network, including at its Philadelphia hub.
To Overhaul Flight Schedules
Associated Press
October 18, 2004 12:31 p.m.
ARLINGTON, Va. -- US Airways Group Inc. said Monday it will change its flight schedules in February to increase departures from its Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia hubs and create a minihub in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The schedule changes that take effect Feb. 6 are part of the bankrupt airline's previously announced plans to transform itself from a traditional hub-and-spoke carrier into a low-cost airline like JetBlue Airways or America West Holdings Corp.
US Airways will retain its hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, but arrival and departure schedules in Philadelphia will be changed to provide a steady flow of flights throughout the day, rather than using the peak and off-peak hours that are typical of a traditional hub-and-spoke network.
The new schedule in Philadelphia will allow for greater efficiency and flexibility, the airline said. Total daily departures from Philadelphia will increase to 495, up 7% from November's schedule and 32% more than in February 2004.
Charlotte will continue operations as what the airline calls a "modified hub-and-spoke" system, with 564 daily departures beginning in February, compared with 495 currently and 464 in February 2004.
US Airways previously announced plans to sharply cut service in Pittsburgh in November, dropping the city from hub status to a "focus city." The airline said Monday it expects 229 daily departures to 67 destinations in February; the airline currently has about 370 daily departures out of Pittsburgh.
On Feb. 13, daily departures from Fort Lauderdale will double to 54 from 27, as the airline seeks to expand its profitable network in the Caribbean.
Overall, the February schedule changes assume a fleet of 281 mainline jets and 169 smaller, regional jets. The airline received authority in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday to drop below a minimum of 279 mainline jets that had been part of the airline's collective bargaining agreements with its unions.
An airline official said Monday that the company's transformation plan has always been based on a fleet of about 280 jets and the airline simply wants the ability to downsize if future market conditions demand a reduction.
The airline has also been implementing a reduced, simplified fare structure throughout its network, including at its Philadelphia hub.