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Analysts Say Columbus, Ohio, Air Service Not Expected to Change

Posted on: Thursday, 15 September 2005, 21:00 CDT

Sep. 15--Air service at Port Columbus is expected to remain steady, even if bankruptcy filings by Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines prompt those carriers to cut flights, industry analysts say.

That's because customer demand is strong enough in Columbus that any dropped flights likely would be picked up by Southwest Airlines or another carrier.

Delta has the highest passenger share at Port Columbus, followed closely by Southwest. Northwest is the fifth-ranked carrier.

Delta and Northwest filed for bankruptcy yesterday, listing combined debts of more than $30 billion.

"You have Southwest there, and that is a very good thing,'' said Doug Abbey, partner at the Velocity Group, an airline consultant in Washington. "Southwest and other airlines might make a route work that Delta couldn't because of costs.''

The lingering question is whether the bankruptcy filings will result in the two airlines reducing service at Columbus.

In the near term, experts said, don't expect major changes.

"When an airline goes into bankruptcy, they continue to operate initially as if nothing has happened,'' said Alan Sbarra, partner in Roach and Sbarra Airline Consulting in San Francisco.

US Airways is an example. The carrier did not cut service at Port Columbus after filing for bankruptcy reorganization.

Port Columbus officials said that despite the recent filings, Columbus is a strong market with a heavy mix of business and leisure travel. That bodes well for the two airlines and central Ohio travelers.

"We're fairly confident the market is performing well for them and will be a strong part of their network in the future,'' said David Whitaker, vice president of business development at the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.

But if the airlines end up cutting service, Whitaker said he thinks there is a good chance others will fill the void in much the same way they did after America West pulled its hub in 2003.

Still, Abbey said he thinks Delta flights that could be vulnerable are those that do not go to its hubs in Cincinnati, Atlanta and Salt Lake City.

Delta flies to 39 cities from Columbus, with most flights being point-to-point and not to its hubs.

"Point-to-point routes are a luxury because they do not feed hubs,'' Abbey said. "They are not critical to any airline's hub.'' Flights to Boston, Florida and New York could be the first to go, he said.

"I'm not saying that is definite, but in the priority and hierachy, I'm sure they are being looked at. If they are profitable, they will stay. That's what it is all about right now, tweaking the network and building on strengths.'' Abbey said Northwest's service at Port Columbus is fairly solid. Northwest flies to Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis.

"Columbus is a good market to Detroit and Minneapolis,'' he said, but service to Memphis could suffer.

"The Memphis service has been off and on even before the threat of bankruptcy. It's been intermittent for the past few years anyway.''

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

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DAL, NWAC, LUV, UAIRQ,

Source: The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

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