Southwest is one of the airlines Dayton International Airport officials have spoken with frequently in efforts to bring additional flight service to Dayton, which has succeeded in reducing airlines’ per-passenger operating costs. But Southwest must evaluate how a new market would fit into its existing route plan, said Linda Hughes, Dayton airport spokeswoman.
“I’ve got to believe that Southwest is going to use Dayton,” said Richard Gritta, a University of Portland finance professor who specializes in aviation economics. “They’re going to use it to feed into Atlanta.”
Southwest doesn’t serve Dayton. Since AirTran already does and is — like Southwest — a low-fare carrier, any changes in Dayton’s air service wouldn’t likely be immediate after the merger becomes effective in 2011, analysts said.
“Their mission is to expand their network into areas they weren’t serving,” said William Storey, president of the Teal Group Inc., an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Va.
AirTran provides daily nonstop service from Dayton International Airport to Atlanta, Baltimore, Orlando and Tampa. Southwest serves Columbus and Indianapolis.
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