NEW YORK (AP) -- Southwest Airlines Co. may add flights to a third new major U.S. airport as early as next fall, as the low-cost carrier shifts its traditional focus on less-trafficked, secondary airports.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday, Chief Executive Gary Kelly said there are "decent odds" the Dallas-based carrier will look to add flights to a new major U.S. airport next year, following the addition of Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York's LaGuardia Airport. [...]
Southwest will look for efficiency as a top priority in researching new airports, Kelly said, as the carrier underlines the focus on on-time performance and cost management.
"Efficiency at the airport is the key, and when we find that -- that will be the sweet spot."
Aside from the fact that Cincinnati isn't exactly "major" (in terms of city size/O-D), it is especially efficient with the recent addition of a third N-S runway and the big pullback of DL in the market. DL is closing the Comair terminal and moving those flights to the regular terminal.
CLT is probably the most efficient major airport that comes to mind. ATL has bigger O&D, but more formidable competition and less efficiency. After that, I'd say MIA and BOS, but those already have nearby service.
A move into BOS would probably mean a pull out of either MHT or PVD, otherwise that area would be way over served.
I don't know if serving all 3 of those airports would mean that the area is overserved. MHT is 55 miles from BOS. PVD is about 50 miles from BOS. They're all pretty far apart.
Look at other cities that have close airports: LAX/SNA/BUR/ONT, OAK/SFO/SJC. BWI and IAD are only 58 miles apart.
I think BOS would be a great idea. And if you're looking for major metro airports....not many left that they haven't addressed.
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A move into BOS would probably mean a pull out of either MHT or PVD, otherwise that area would be way over served.
I'm really curious to see what transpires.
A move into BOS would probably slow growth at PVD/MHT or maybe make a few flights go away, but I doubt it will mean an outright pullout. PVD is still more convenient for us RIers and the M.......s out there. Plus, Route 95 going right next the to airport makes it very attractive to those in CT.
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Darkhorses--CVG or CLT. I think WN could do what they did with PIT and get 20-25 flights/day out of both and significantly impact the local landscape. Remember the overpriced and underserved mantra?
And it was rumored earlier that MDW would be a transfer point, no?
Well as an employee at MDW, I can say that something's gotta give. Southwest's operation at MDW is pretty much at capacity (at the limit of what the airport can facilitate). So, with MDW being the sole destination of both MSP and LGA coming up in the next year (and most of the traffic coming from those cities are going to be connecting elsewhere, which means a CRAP load of Xfers which is an enormous strain on our operation), I really cannot imagine WestJet at MDW. That's not to say it wont happen, but It would be terrible. The main problem with it would be the fact that the customs setup at MDW is for the birds. Everything coming off of the WJ flights would have to first be sent down to customs and screened. Sometimes you wont see the bags getting spit back out for almost an hour! This was back with the ATA code share, and this was only 1 or 2 Mexico flights a day, and all of the bags were terminating anyways. I cannot even begin to imagine if there was any sort of volume and THEN these bags needed to be run out for connecting WN flights! It would be absolute madness.
If West Jet comes to MDW, they better implement a MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH better plan than the nonsense that went on with the ATA code share (where we had to work with an airline who ran their operation like something out of the 1970's).
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