Concourses May Be Closed, And Fees Would Rise

The continuing suspense surrounding the proposed US Airways-Delta merger is wreaking havoc on the nerves of many employees at both airlines. Officials at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport can likely relate... as if the merger happens, it's likely the new carrier would opt to pull out of the US Airways hub at that airport, to concentrate operations from Delta's Atlanta hub 230 miles to the south.

Officials at CLT say such a move would certainly hurt in the short-term, as entire concourses would probably shut down... but in the end, they say, the airport would survive.

"Let me say it this way: If the hub went away completely and we had only local passengers, we could pay all of our debt service and maintenance and operations," said Charlotte/Douglas aviation director Jerry Orr. "That's the basis of, 'Don't worry, be happy.' "

The Charlotte Observer reports CLT would also raise landing fees -- but Orr says those fees would still be below the average for other large hub airports. The airport also has a smaller staff, and less debt than similar airports.

Almost 5,000 employees now work at Charlotte/Douglas -- a number that could be drastically slashed if the airport loses its hub status.

Orr says the contingency plan he has should a newly-merged US Airways/Delta conglomerate pull out of CLT, is a lot like the plan he envisioned several years ago -- when he thought, as did many in the industry, that US Airways was going to fold completely.

US Airways officials maintain they would keep Charlotte as a large hub. Airline president Scott Kirby says Charlotte remains a lucrative city, due to its large number of business travelers. But while the airline says CLT would also keep nonstop destinations such as Frankfurt and London... the airport would lose service.

The airline points to Pittsburgh as an example. US Airways cut destinations and service from that city two years ago -- but still maintains a small hub there. The airport now has 60 nonstop destinations, down from 118 at its peak. Charlotte currently has 123 nonstop destinations.

FMI: www.charmeck.org/Departments/Airport/Home.htm, www.usairways.com