Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[dubone]

I looked a week or two on Google's satellite map to see the new runway, but it didn't even show construction signs. I noticed today that the aerial images have it half paved and the other part defined, although unpaved, like the aerial on slide 5 of the presentation.

[JayGee]

I looked a week or two on Google's satellite map to see the new runway, but it didn't even show construction signs. I noticed today that the aerial images have it half paved and the other part defined, although unpaved, like the aerial on slide 5 of the presentation.

Yeah, I saw that yesterday and wasn't sure if it was like that the last time I looked. Apparently not.

So there's also a nice shot of the new Allen Steam Generation plant scrubber and stack across the river. It was just an empty field before.

[Skyybutter]

Usairways will add year round service from Charlotte 5x per week to Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos Mexico.

US Airways announced four new nonstop routes this morning. Two are to Canada and two are to Mexico. The airline's Charlotte hub gains three new destinations (Ottawa, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta) while Philadelphia gets one (Halifax). All four routes are scheduled to operate year-round.

Ottawa service begins May 31 with US Airways Express partner Air Wisconsin flying one daily round-trip flight on 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets. The Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta routes start June 5, with US Airways offering five flights a week to Los Cabos and four to Puerto Vallarta. The carrier will fly 124-seat two-class Airbus A319 jets on the routes.

As for Halifax, US Airways say it's "first-ever service" to the city will begin from Philadelphia on June 1. US Airways Express partner Air Wisconsin will fly three daily round-trip flights on the route using a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jet.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Skyybutter

[uptownliving]

Looks like Rio loads are pretty poor. This was expected post-carnival, but I wonder how bad it really is.

http://www.usaviation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48369&st=0

Todays flight is leaving out over 90% full. Not bad for what is considered to be the "low" season to Rio.

[HopHead]

US Airways today announced plans to restore service between Charlotte and Baton Rouge, LA. Three daily flights will be operated by US Airways Express carrier PSA Airlines using 50-seat CRJ-200 regional jets.

So, this begs the question are we going to see service to more secondary Midwest markets like maybe Des Moines, IA and Oklahoma City? It only seems to make sense. I don't believe USA serves OKC though. Des Moines would make sense because of the Wells Fargo connection.

Edited March 24, 2010 by dbull75

[caterpillar2]

US Airways today announced plans to restore service between Charlotte and Baton Rouge, LA. Three daily flights will be operated by US Airways Express carrier PSA Airlines using 50-seat CRJ-200 regional jets.

So, this begs the question are we going to see service to more secondary Midwest markets like maybe Des Moines, IA and Oklahoma City? It only seems to make sense. I don't believe USA serves OKC though. Des Moines would make sense because of the Wells Fargo connection.

Omaha more so than Des Moines.

[uptownliving]

FIDS LCD Watch Update: Latest word is that all the FIDS will be replaced by the end of 2010. The project continues to move as slow as molassas.

[Miesian Corners]

FIDS LCD Watch Update: Latest word is that all the FIDS will be replaced by the end of 2010. The project continues to move as slow as molassas.

It takes a year to install FIDS monitors? You've got to be kidding me! Will they all be blurry like they are now? From what I hear, the new monitors in baggage at A/B are so blurry, customers complain routinely about not being able to read the information. The ones in the customs hall are just as bad (logos for different airlines are skewed and shadowed) and have already started coming loose from their anchored positions--on Sunday night, two were pointing toward the floor. Edited March 26, 2010 by Miesian Corners

[uptownliving]

Checkpoint B will close on Monday April 5th so they can do the renovation/expansion. When Checkpoint B reopens on May 1 it will have 4 Security Lanes and a Full Body Scanner.

In June they will close Checkpoint A to do the same renovation/expansion.

[rockhilljames]

Checkpoint B will close on Monday April 5th so they can do the renovation/expansion. When Checkpoint B reopens on May 1 it will have 4 Security Lanes and a Full Body Scanner.

In June they will close Checkpoint A to do the same renovation/expansion.

I'm looking forward to showing off my junk. So to speak.

Anyone else a little creeped-out by those things?

[southslider]

^I'll still head for the shortest line, whether it means giving a show or not.

[HopHead]

Checkpoint B will close on Monday April 5th so they can do the renovation/expansion. When Checkpoint B reopens on May 1 it will have 4 Security Lanes and a Full Body Scanner.

In June they will close Checkpoint A to do the same renovation/expansion.

They can't expand those soon enough. Weekday morning travel may get better...

[uptownliving]

If you want to fly the Non-Stop to Honolulu you better go ahead and book your ticket now. Flight will be suspended on Sept 10th.

From today's US Airways Employee Newsletter:

Daily nonstop service between CLT and HNL, which began

Dec. 17, 2009, will be suspended Sept. 8, 2010. The flight,

which complements service between PHX and four destinations

in Hawaii — HNL, Maui (OGG), Kauai (LIH) and Kona on the

Big Island (KOA), is not forecast to generate the revenue we

need to continue operating it and will be removed from computer

reservations systems (CRS) this weekend.

Managing Director, Network Planning, Mike Britman explained,

“Despite our efforts to make this flight a success, our forecasts

show that we’re simply not going to generate the revenue we

need to continue operating the flight, so we’re moving quickly

to suspend it and focus on more profitable flying. We expect the

flight to do well during the busy summer travel season, but we no

longer believe it is financially sustainable on a year-round basis.

Mike added, “The cost of fuel heavily impacts this flight. Our

expenses are higher than forecast mainly due to the rise in the

cost of fuel since we announced the route last summer. Because

CLT-HNL is a long-haul flight, fuel represents a much larger

percentage of expenses than on other flights. The flight requires

approximately 10 million gallons of fuel per year. Each increase

of just 10 cents to the cost of a gallon of fuel adds about $1

million in expenses for us for this route. CLT-HNL is also a

leisure route, which makes it more difficult for us to pass on the

costs of fuel to customers, who simply choose a lower fare on

another airline or opt to travel to a different destination.”

US Airways’ planning group will evaluate how the CLTHNL

flight performs this summer and determine whether we

should bring it back as seasonal summer service next year

based on aircraft availability. While next summer is open

for re-evaluation, our customers can still travel to Hawaii

through our hub in PHX. These flights perform very well. In

fact, in September we’ll build on the strength of these flights

and maintain twice-daily service to HNL and OGG instead

of reducing to one flight per day to each destination like we

normally do for the fall season.

[CltFlyer]

begininning August 24 AA will begin eagle flights from Clt-Lga (New York) again starting with 3x cr7 and from Sept 8 onward 5x cr7. the CR7's are now equipped with first class and meals will be served. Do they have enough gates?

[15895]

begininning August 24 AA will begin eagle flights from Clt-Lga (New York) again starting with 3x cr7 and from Sept 8 onward 5x cr7. the CR7's are now equipped with first class and meals will be served. Do they have enough gates?

Yes, and even if they didn't, it doesn't really matter. I doubt it will last for very long.

[CltFlyer]

Yes, and even if they didn't, it doesn't really matter. I doubt it will last for very long.

5x daily on CR7's seems a bit overkill but Delta is down to 1x daily on Jfk this summer.

[HopHead]

To no ones surprise the CLT-Honolulu flights have been suspended, effective in Sept. They may return as a seasonal flight in 2011. I read somewhere that if gas prices went up like 10 cents, the annual cost of this flight went up few millions bucks. Pretty hard to make this flight profitable, even if it's full without charging a pretty high premium. The head winds don't help either.

[UrbanLifter]

Just read on the NY Times that US Airways and United are "deep in merger negotiations".

[Urbanity]

^^^

Ouch:

A combination of the two carriers would end up with a large number of a multitude of hubs, including United’s operations in Chicago, Denver and at Washington Dulles International Airport. For its part, US Airways has hubs in Las Vegas, Phoenix and extensive operations in the Washington area.

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/united-and-us-airways-hold-merger-talks/?hp

[JayGee]

^^^

Ouch:

http://dealbook.blog...erger-talks/?hp

Here we go again. . . .

Charlotte would probably lose some flights, but I think would remain a hub. United does not have a southern hub and, as we all know, CLT is very cost-effective.

[tozmervo]

heh, they've issued a minor correction.

For its part, US Airways has hubs in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Charlotte, N.C., as well as extensive operations in the Washington area.

...

Correction: A previous version of this item misstated US Airways’ hubs.

[JayGee]

heh, they've issued a minor correction.

That should be Philadelphia, PA and Phoenix AZ, shouldn't it?

[15895]

Charlotte would probably lose some flights, but I think would remain a hub. United does not have a southern hub and, as we all know, CLT is very cost-effective.

Charlotte will not lose any flights excluding Rio De Janeiro most likely. Charlotte just has more feed from United to funnel through Charlotte. Charlotte is going to be United's largest hub.

[Miesian Corners]

Charlotte will not lose any flights excluding Rio De Janeiro most likely. Charlotte just has more feed from United to funnel through Charlotte. Charlotte is going to be United's largest hub.

I think CLT would be the biggest beneficiary of this merger. Back in 2001 when the airlines attempted to merge, CLT was to be the big South American gateway city, with United going as far as speeding up the construction of the new international terminal for the expansion.

[HopHead]

Agreed with Miesian Corners... I think this stands to benefit Charlotte dramatically. We're the only hub city in the southeast for both airlines, not to mention the largest and lowest cost. Just to speculate, could a possible United/US Airways HQ be set up here? I think with USA's continued focus here, it's a possibility. Isn't United based in Chicago?