“Delta’s investment at LaGuardia is good for customers because it provides new convenient service options and ensures continued access to many small communities that our competitors have not historically served,” says Gail Grimmett, Delta’s senior vice president – New York.
“During the last 30 years, successful slot trades have helped foster a competitive environment for the airline industry,” adds Grimmett. “With this agreement, Delta will inject additional competition in the New York market. Many small- and medium-sized communities throughout upstate New York and New England will benefit from service upgrades where Delta will operate larger regional and mainline jets.”
Once the transaction is approved, Delta plans to begin a construction project costing nearly $40 million at LaGuardia to connect the current Delta and US Airways main terminals; rebrand US Airways’ existing main terminal gates, ticket counters and lounges to Delta’s standards; and create a new dedicated check-in area for Medallion, First Class, BusinessElite and Shuttle customers. This facility transition will be completed in 2010.
In addition to the improvements at LaGuardia, Delta will continue to invest at its hub at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and will continue to explore long-term options to upgrade terminal facilities.
As a result of its merger with Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines has become the largest airline in the world
Since making a strategic decision to build New York into a hub earlier this decade, Delta says it has made major investments across the tri-state region, boosting its economic impact to more than $13 billion annually. Along with adding more than 30 new international routes at JFK, Delta has created more than 2,000 jobs across the state, invested heavily in New York sponsorships and advertising and completed more than $70 million in facility upgrades at JFK’s Terminals 2 and 3.
The “limited number” of international route authorities Delta says it will transfer to US Airways for service to Brazil and Japan under the agreement “will not result in any material schedule changes for Delta customers”, the Atlanta carrier says.
Delta also will continue to serve Washington’s Reagan Airport with numerous daily frequencies to its seven hubs, hourly shuttle service to LaGuardia and flights to select small communities.
Both Delta and US Airways will submit the transaction for review by the U.S. Department of Justice, together with applications for approval by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Related to this story:
- Delta and US Airways Complete LaGuardia-Washington Reagan Slot Swap
- WestJet to Serve New York LaGuardia after Successful Slot Bid
- Delta Announces New Destinations and Flights from New York JFK and LaGuardia
- DOT Tentatively Approves Revised Delta-US Airways Slot-Swap Proposal
- AirTran to Increase Schedule at LaGuardia, Reagan
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