Is this really necessary?

Hmmm I'll bet DAL pays the lion's share of this.. and everybody else benefits... again.

I took this as good news. Shows DALs commitment to SLC and puts a stick in the eye that SLC will get abandoned for a Texas hub.

Let's just hope that with merger mania they do not have the CVG effect fall upon them.

I did not take it that way. One does not deal with the other. SLC could still operate as an O and D hub with a Texas hub doing other work. Same for MSP. SLC is OK wrt to being a connecting hub, and is one of the most expensive in the country.

The cash that the airlines are putting forth appears minimal, and the finished result is a long way off. The design phase has not really started yet.

Is that even feasible, technologically speaking?

We're one of the few carriers that doesn't do currency over ACARS. Even my cheapo regional did it on ACARS (then again we were using the NW mask...).

New here are ya?

Oh really? Watch the KSL video. They at least have schematic design in progress. Airports aren't all that difficult either. I'll betcha the design work and construction drawings could be finished in 3-4 months... The engineering might take a little while, but not all that long. I'll bet they could start digging in the summer.

A NW mask? Didn't it hinder the flying? Were you allowed to remove it for landing?

Just had to remove the ball from mouth before talking to controllers.