Originally Posted by
benzoate
Mid-america hub? Why?
How much originating traffic comes from a mid-america hub? If we are talking a global airline perhaps but how much travel and connections ACTUALLY come from the middle of the country? Without digging into traffic reports it doesn’t make a ton of financial sense. The census bureau statistics indicate future population growth comes from South America focusing on that direction seems more logical.
If you look at ORD or IAH the land was cheap and terminals were built therefore feeding traffic through there to get else where but not because those cities population centers travelled. Just an opinion.
The mid-continent population centers do have tremendous amounts of O&D, both business and leisure. Delta prints money in MSP, and DEN and Chicago are very hotly contested hubs for a reason. In addition to O&D it creates lucrative connection opportunities that just don't exist without one.
Just my opinion of course.