Delta to expand at LaGuardia with flight-slot trade

Delta Air Lines Inc. won federal regulators' approval to build a domestic hub at New York's LaGuardia airport by trading takeoff and landing slots with US Airways Group Inc.

The accord gives Delta 132 more LaGuardia slot pairs and control of about half the flights there, in exchange for swapping 42 of its pairs at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with US Airways, the Transportation Department said Tuesday. The carriers must divest 24 pairs to smaller rivals, 16 at LaGuardia and eight at National.

Delta's advantage at LaGuardia over AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the second-biggest carrier there, will grow as it takes over most of the US Airways terminal space. Approval brings to fruition a deal Delta and US Airways began pursuing more than two years ago.