"Airport Authority: New US Airways Hub an Insult to Pittsburgh"

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Airport Authority: New US Airways Hub an Insult to Pittsburgh
KDKA-TV Ch 2 (CBS), Pittsburgh (PA)


Pittsburgh Airport Authority Director Kent George says US Airways'
decision to open a new hub in Florida is "almost a slap in the face" to
Pittsburgh.

Just a few months after downgrading Pittsburgh from "hub" status to what
it calls a "focus city," the airline is reportedly planning to open a
new international hub in Fort Lauderdale.

George calls the move in an insult to Pittsburgh.

"It's almost a slap in the face to say, you're not a good enough hub,
but I'm going to start another hub down south, and we're going to try to
see if this works." -- Kent George, Airport Authority Director

"Abandoning Pittsburgh is immoral, if not unethical... Pittsburgh has
always been supportive of US Airways." -- Christine Fox, CWA Union
President

US Airways says the airline will still have a much greater presence in
Pittsburgh than it will in Fort Lauderdale. This all comes after talks
broke down between US Airways and its pilot union.

The airline says it needs another $800-million in concessions to avoid
filing for a second bankruptcy.


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