The next thing to come out of left field for lowecur will be LAX service. I'm hearing LAX growth because LGB is stuffed. Growth in the LA area along with a possible Bay Area domicile would be awesome for B6.
Yeah, it's going to happen sometime this year. DL will be evicted from T-5, and it's my guess Jetblue and a few other carriers will head on in. This from the LA Times:
Panel acts to control LAX terminals
The city Airport Commission votes to use up to $154 million to end airline leases at two facilities and open up slots for other carriers.
By Jennifer Oldham, Times Staff Writer
January 9, 2007
Despite intensive lobbying from airline representatives to delay the matter, the city's Airport Commission voted unanimously on Monday to spend up to $154 million to take over several terminals at Los Angeles International Airport.
By gaining control of Terminals 2 and 5, airport officials hope to free up aircraft parking spots for discount carriers and other airlines that have repeatedly asked to add flights at the world's fifth-busiest airport.
Airlines that operate in the two terminals said they will fight the takeover in court, contending the airport agency would be violating the terms of their leases.
"We're very disappointed," said Robert S. Span, an attorney with Paul Hastings, who represents Delta Air Lines, which operates in Terminal 5, and an organization of carriers that offer flights in Terminal 2. "We're going to evaluate our legal options."
But airport officials say the terms of the carriers' leases specifically allow the airport agency to buy back bonds the airlines used to finance improvements to the terminals.
Once these bonds are paid off, the agency can terminate the leases, officials say. The agency said it will move immediately to use cash and credit to buy back the bonds.
Through long-term leases, five carriers control a majority of gates at LAX, leaving airport officials unable to accommodate many requests from other airlines to add flights. More than 60 passenger airlines offer service at LAX.
LAX is unusual in that it operates only 3 1/2 of its nine terminals, through what officials now call an outdated arrangement. Most other major airports control a majority of their facilities.
The city's airport agency says several of the five carriers with long-term leases hoard their gates and use them inefficiently.
"We know that there are airlines that can use some of these underutilized gates," said Airport Commissioner Walter Zifkin. "We have a duty of fulfilling a public trust here."
Jetblue is in discussions with a few international carriers about partnerships. These will include JFK, SFO, and LAX. With the SFO announcement, Virgin America could be history. If that's the case, it wouldn't surprise me if Virgin Atlantic and their 49% owner (Singapore Airlines) will do a partnership with Jetblue. Just speculation of course.
imp:
