Air Service in Troubled Times

“If the fuel prices don’t stop, they’re going to have to cut across the country. Everybody is.

“I’m worried more about fuel prices than I am about the hubs.”

Kevin Meikle, airports planning manager for the city of Fresno department of airports, says he’s not concerned — yet — about the impact the merger might have on air service with Delta there.

“We’re not seeing any impact to these potential mergers or bankruptcies,” Meikle says. Fresno is not currently seeing any additional service, he notes, despite high load factors.

Pensacola Regional Airport Director Frank Miller says his airport has lost Delta service before, when the airline went through bankrupcy protection, but has since recovered the lost seats. Delta currently operates nonstop flight to Memphis and Atlanta.

Miller says. “Right now, we’re all just trying to wait and see what happens with the proposed merger. If it goes through, then we’ll have to start working very closely with the airlines to try and get a feel for what that means here along the Gulf Coast.”