Shreveport Airport Loses Its New Orleans Flights

Airport Loses Its New Orleans Flights
Shreveport Times, LA

Posted on February 12, 2004

Shreveport loses its only direct flight to New Orleans
next month when US Airways pulls out of the market. 

"The last flight will be March 13," said Amy Kudwa,
spokeswoman for US Airways. 

Shreveport's loss is tied to the continuing nationwide
fallout in the airline industry, which was devastated
by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. US Airways
lost $98 million in the fourth quarter of 2003 and is
trying to cut costs by $300 million this year. 

Last fall, American Airlines eliminated its Shreveport
to St. Louis flights on American Connection. One year
ago, Delta added flights to Cincinnati, but also took
its large jets out of Shreveport. 

The loss of US Airways disappoints, but does not
shock, local officials. US Airways, which flies four
times a day to New Orleans, started its Shreveport
service in 1992. 

"We've been concerned because they were up to 1,200
passengers a month before Sept. 11 (2001) and then
they went down to 600. And 1,000 passengers is about
the break-even point," said Roy Miller, director of
airports for the Shreveport Airport Authority. 

"Once those numbers went down, we got worried. We
hoped they could hang on, but they decided to move
those aircraft elsewhere." 

Travel agency owner Pat Caraway said flights to South
Louisiana can be hard to fill because they are not
going to connecting flights. New Orleans is not a hub
airport. That's not a place to connect to other
flights," he said. 

"It's a loss to the community, but that's always been
a tough market. It's so easy to get there on I-49. And
air fares had gotten so high." 

A businessman buying a ticket off the US Airways Web
site for travel to New Orleans on Friday morning and
back that same evening would pay $538.21. 

After March 13, someone wanting a flight from
Shreveport to New Orleans will have to fly through
Dallas or Houston on Delta, American or Continental. 

"The economics did not support it and so I understand
why they made that decision, even though I don't like
it. Anytime we lose a major carrier, that hurts us,"
said Dick Bremer, president of the Greater Shreveport
Chamber of Commerce. 

"Competition makes for good company. With the
convention center coming, we need as many routes as we
can get to have a lot of conventions here."

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