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Bay area won't see US Airways boom
By STEVE HUETTEL
Published March 27, 2006
Don't look for US Airways to make a big return to the Tampa Bay area any time soon.
The dominant airline here after predecessor USAir acquired Piedmont Airlines in 1987, US Airways claimed most passengers at Tampa International Airport - about one out of every five - as recently as six years ago.
But its share of the local traffic has slipped to less than 10 percent as the airline cut flights and nonstop destinations in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, two bankruptcies and a merger with America West Airlines. At the end of 2005, it was No. 3 in the Tampa market behind Southwest and Delta.
US Airways flies nonstop only to Washington, D.C., and its three East Coast hubs of Charlotte N.C., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. America West, has nonstops to Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The combined airline, now 6 months old, doesn't plan to grow aggressively, says chief executive Doug Parker, and major Florida cities aren't on his radar screen for more service.
The reason: too much discount competition in the Sunshine State, especially on routes to big Northeast cities like New York and Boston.
"Between JetBlue, Delta, AirTran and all the rest of us . . . there's so much service (that) we don't view it as a big opportunity right now," Parker said in an interview with the Times this month at US Airways headquarters outside Phoenix.
"There's already enough going on in the big point-to-point markets. So, we don't feel the need or believe we can fly it profitably."
[Last modified March 25, 2006, 03:30:08]
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