tredding@swa
SWA F/O
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2002
- Posts
- 294
picked this up off the Web today, enjoy!! Tred
Southwest slowly resumes plans to increase gates, flights at BWI
Airline to add four planes and 10 daily nonstop trips, gains a new walkway
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By Paul Adams
Sun Staff
Originally published November 13, 2002
The malaise gripping the airline industry shows no sign of easing, but that won't stop Dallas-based Southwest Airlines from resuming its plans for growth at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, the airline's chief executive officer said yesterday.
CEO Jim Parker and other Southwest executives descended on Baltimore for a series of employee meetings this week as the airline prepares to open new gates and add more flights to BWI's schedule. Southwest is the dominant carrier at BWI and has been a major force behind the airport's $1.8 billion expansion plans.
"I think there's still significant growth potential at BWI," Parker said. "I think the fact that BWI is getting all of the new flights we're adding in December and January tells you where BWI is on our priority list."
Southwest, the only major airline to post a profit in the past year, curtailed its growth plans after terrorist attacks last year. Terminal improvements planned for BWI were temporarily put on hold, Parker said, and the airline canceled some plane deliveries after passenger traffic fell precipitously.
The nation's sixth-largest airline has since begun a slow resumption of growth, announcing last month that it will take delivery of four new planes and add 10 daily nonstop flights to its BWI schedule. The additional flights include four daily round trips to Orlando, Fla.; and one each to Tampa, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Manchester, N.H.; and Hartford, Conn. The airline will begin service between BWI and San Jose, Calif., in January, giving it its second transcontinental nonstop. Southwest initiated a Baltimore-Los Angeles flight in September.
The airline also will open a new walkway between concourses C and B, allowing passengers on Southwest flights to make easier connections.
"We have done everything we need to do at Southwest in terms of improvement of airport facilities," Parker said.
The airline is focusing its latest growth plans on Baltimore in part because of US Airways' decision last year to shutter its MetroJet division, slashing the faltering carrier's BWI operations by more than half. US Airways filed for bankruptcy protection in August and is attempting to restructure by cutting costs and downsizing.
"MetroJet obviously pulled out of BWI and left a number of markets underserved relative to what the market will support, so that's one of the reasons that we're adding more service to BWI, to fill that void," Parker said.
Analysts predict the low-fare carrier will eventually resume its previous growth pace of 10 percent to 12 percent annually. The airline is well-positioned to take advantage of dropped routes if US Airways or other struggling carriers go out of business in the next year.
"As early as next year they could see some airlines disappear," said Ray Neidl, an analyst with Blaylock & Partners LLP. "They'll start growing as soon as the economics justify it."
Like other airlines, Southwest is still feeling the effects of the terrorist attacks and the sluggish economy. The company's third-quarter profit fell by half to $74.9 million, and company officials initially warned that a fourth-quarter profit could prove elusive. Parker now says that a fourth-quarter profit is likely, barring another industry disaster or war with Iraq. Analysts are expecting earnings of about 3 cents to 4 cents per share.
Shares of Southwest closed yesterday at $14.91, up 6 cents but sharply off its 52-week high of $22.
Southwest slowly resumes plans to increase gates, flights at BWI
Airline to add four planes and 10 daily nonstop trips, gains a new walkway
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Paul Adams
Sun Staff
Originally published November 13, 2002
The malaise gripping the airline industry shows no sign of easing, but that won't stop Dallas-based Southwest Airlines from resuming its plans for growth at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, the airline's chief executive officer said yesterday.
CEO Jim Parker and other Southwest executives descended on Baltimore for a series of employee meetings this week as the airline prepares to open new gates and add more flights to BWI's schedule. Southwest is the dominant carrier at BWI and has been a major force behind the airport's $1.8 billion expansion plans.
"I think there's still significant growth potential at BWI," Parker said. "I think the fact that BWI is getting all of the new flights we're adding in December and January tells you where BWI is on our priority list."
Southwest, the only major airline to post a profit in the past year, curtailed its growth plans after terrorist attacks last year. Terminal improvements planned for BWI were temporarily put on hold, Parker said, and the airline canceled some plane deliveries after passenger traffic fell precipitously.
The nation's sixth-largest airline has since begun a slow resumption of growth, announcing last month that it will take delivery of four new planes and add 10 daily nonstop flights to its BWI schedule. The additional flights include four daily round trips to Orlando, Fla.; and one each to Tampa, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Manchester, N.H.; and Hartford, Conn. The airline will begin service between BWI and San Jose, Calif., in January, giving it its second transcontinental nonstop. Southwest initiated a Baltimore-Los Angeles flight in September.
The airline also will open a new walkway between concourses C and B, allowing passengers on Southwest flights to make easier connections.
"We have done everything we need to do at Southwest in terms of improvement of airport facilities," Parker said.
The airline is focusing its latest growth plans on Baltimore in part because of US Airways' decision last year to shutter its MetroJet division, slashing the faltering carrier's BWI operations by more than half. US Airways filed for bankruptcy protection in August and is attempting to restructure by cutting costs and downsizing.
"MetroJet obviously pulled out of BWI and left a number of markets underserved relative to what the market will support, so that's one of the reasons that we're adding more service to BWI, to fill that void," Parker said.
Analysts predict the low-fare carrier will eventually resume its previous growth pace of 10 percent to 12 percent annually. The airline is well-positioned to take advantage of dropped routes if US Airways or other struggling carriers go out of business in the next year.
"As early as next year they could see some airlines disappear," said Ray Neidl, an analyst with Blaylock & Partners LLP. "They'll start growing as soon as the economics justify it."
Like other airlines, Southwest is still feeling the effects of the terrorist attacks and the sluggish economy. The company's third-quarter profit fell by half to $74.9 million, and company officials initially warned that a fourth-quarter profit could prove elusive. Parker now says that a fourth-quarter profit is likely, barring another industry disaster or war with Iraq. Analysts are expecting earnings of about 3 cents to 4 cents per share.
Shares of Southwest closed yesterday at $14.91, up 6 cents but sharply off its 52-week high of $22.
