"What if US Air were no more?"

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

What if airline were no more?
By Steve Halvonik
The Pittsburgh (PA) Tribune-Review


Liquidation of US Airways would hurt Pittsburgh International Airport, but,
contrary to prevailing consensus, it would not eliminate overcapacity in the
airline industry and make rival carriers more profitable, according to a new
report by aviation expert Michael Boyd. 

According to a summary of the report, obtained Monday by the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review, a collapse of US Airways would be "unevenly negative'' for
customers, airports, employees and vendors. 

Boyd, a Colorado-based aviation analyst who has performed work for the
Allegheny County Airport Authority, said his report should not be construed
as a prediction that US Airways is on the verge of collapse. Rather, it is
an attempt to predict what could happen if a collapse occurred. 

"Our study found that overcapacity would likely remain in most major
markets, while it will be small and mid-sized communities that would bear
the brunt of the airline's collapse.'' 

Pittsburgh would be among those mid-sized communities bearing the brunt,
Boyd said. 

US Airways declined to comment. 

US Airways remains Pittsburgh's dominant carrier, even though it has
eliminated hub operations and slashed its schedule from 542 to 229 daily
flights over the past four years. 

US Airways still provides about two-thirds of the daily flights at
Pittsburgh International. Local service to the nation's top 30 markets would
continue to be provided by alternative carriers, but nonstop flights to some
markets would be lost and not replaced, experts have said. 

A spokeswoman for Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said
yesterday that county officials would continue working to attract new
airlines and to expand service from existing carriers in an attempt to
maintain the viability of Pittsburgh International Airport.


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