PHL expansion and the death of CLT?
#23
Not too long ago I sat next to an AA Director in a department that is in part of the planning process. He was was very forthright about things at AA.
CLT is the cheapest hub in the country while still being one of the most profitable for its host city. They are building a new terminal which was originally going to be international but now will be domestic. He said AA was in CLT to stay and will take every gate there they can get.
Legacy AA hubs are going to be re-timed and PHX is history after reconstruction projects in LA are finished in 2-5 years, according to him.
The NE bases will remain intact and they would like to increase PHL ops because NY is maxed, but they need more gates.
CLT is the cheapest hub in the country while still being one of the most profitable for its host city. They are building a new terminal which was originally going to be international but now will be domestic. He said AA was in CLT to stay and will take every gate there they can get.
Legacy AA hubs are going to be re-timed and PHX is history after reconstruction projects in LA are finished in 2-5 years, according to him.
The NE bases will remain intact and they would like to increase PHL ops because NY is maxed, but they need more gates.
#25
Not too long ago I sat next to an AA Director in a department that is in part of the planning process. He was was very forthright about things at AA.
CLT is the cheapest hub in the country while still being one of the most profitable for its host city. They are building a new terminal which was originally going to be international but now will be domestic. He said AA was in CLT to stay and will take every gate there they can get.
Legacy AA hubs are going to be re-timed and PHX is history after reconstruction projects in LA are finished in 2-5 years, according to him.
The NE bases will remain intact and they would like to increase PHL ops because NY is maxed, but they need more gates.
CLT is the cheapest hub in the country while still being one of the most profitable for its host city. They are building a new terminal which was originally going to be international but now will be domestic. He said AA was in CLT to stay and will take every gate there they can get.
Legacy AA hubs are going to be re-timed and PHX is history after reconstruction projects in LA are finished in 2-5 years, according to him.
The NE bases will remain intact and they would like to increase PHL ops because NY is maxed, but they need more gates.
"We have no plans to further downsize Pittsburgh."
#27
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,967
The amount of construction on the CLT airport over the last five years is not a "public plan". Assumptions that CLT will look like PIT in the next five years is only possible if you have an axe to grind.
#29
It's well known that CLT was a money-maker for Doug and Scott, and will likely continue to be into the future. There's no other reasonable location to put a southeast hub. MIA is primarily Latin America and other international destinations. PHL is fine for the Northeast and international, but can't reasonably serve all the smaller markets in the southeast. If they shutter CLT, they'll basically hand over the SE United States to Delta and Southwest.
PHX is a different matter...it's really too hot to serve as a good jumping off point for the far east Asian markets. It could possibly serve as a decent west-coast domestic hub, but that depends on how much LAX can grow. If LAX stays relatively flat, they'll probably make LAX more of an international gateway while keeping more of the domestic stuff out of PHX.
I have heard good rumors that the PHX training center will most likely close regardless of the future of the PHX domicile.
PHX is a different matter...it's really too hot to serve as a good jumping off point for the far east Asian markets. It could possibly serve as a decent west-coast domestic hub, but that depends on how much LAX can grow. If LAX stays relatively flat, they'll probably make LAX more of an international gateway while keeping more of the domestic stuff out of PHX.
I have heard good rumors that the PHX training center will most likely close regardless of the future of the PHX domicile.
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,238
It's well known that CLT was a money-maker for Doug and Scott, and will likely continue to be into the future. There's no other reasonable location to put a southeast hub. MIA is primarily Latin America and other international destinations. PHL is fine for the Northeast and international, but can't reasonably serve all the smaller markets in the southeast. If they shutter CLT, they'll basically hand over the SE United States to Delta and Southwest.
PHX is a different matter...it's really too hot to serve as a good jumping off point for the far east Asian markets. It could possibly serve as a decent west-coast domestic hub, but that depends on how much LAX can grow. If LAX stays relatively flat, they'll probably make LAX more of an international gateway while keeping more of the domestic stuff out of PHX.
I have heard good rumors that the PHX training center will most likely close regardless of the future of the PHX domicile.
PHX is a different matter...it's really too hot to serve as a good jumping off point for the far east Asian markets. It could possibly serve as a decent west-coast domestic hub, but that depends on how much LAX can grow. If LAX stays relatively flat, they'll probably make LAX more of an international gateway while keeping more of the domestic stuff out of PHX.
I have heard good rumors that the PHX training center will most likely close regardless of the future of the PHX domicile.
Even PHL is getting in on the action with a third runway and extensions.
In short....IT'S ALL GOOD for our future.