Sw's Next City

[downline7]

You're all wrong. You're focussed on pax. Cargo/mail pays the bills. Hence, ANCHORAGE will be the next SWA city! Alaska Air vacated its old terminal leaving a lot of open gates at ANC!!!!!!

Westchester County Airport (HPN) is a small airport and cant accomodate a 737. I think the largest aircraft is an Air Canada CRJ. Longest runway is 16/34 at 6548x150. Even so .. HPN has a lot of NIMBYs, a lot of slot restrictions, and minimal space.

 

[FWAAA]

Westchester County Airport (HPN) is a small airport and cant accomodate a 737. I think the largest aircraft is an Air Canada CRJ. Longest runway is 16/34 at 6548x150. Even so .. HPN has a lot of NIMBYs, a lot of slot restrictions, and minimal space.

I'm confused. You say the largest plane at HPN is a CRJ? Been there lately?

AA flies five F-100s daily, and UAL used to fly 737s to HPN. I believe that AA also flew MD-80s there as well. This fall, AA will also fly 738s to HPN. WN could certainly fly 737s there but I agree that the NIMBYs would make a WN station impossible.

 

[AirplaneFan]

How are O & D numbers calculated and by whom?

US DOT 3rd Q, 2003. Here's the website http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/aviation/

 

[wnbubbleboy]

You're all wrong. You're focussed on pax. Cargo/mail pays the bills. Hence, ANCHORAGE will be the next SWA city! Alaska Air vacated its old terminal leaving a lot of open gates at ANC!!!!!!

ANC was Morris Air's cities that WN abandoned when we merged. Cargo was big out of there from what I remember the guys I knew in SEA hated those flights. Filled with HEAVY boxes of samon. I doubt we would go back though. I would be too hard to support. Could you imagine what the cost of an engine change there in ANC would be?

 

[SVQLBA]

Westchester County Airport (HPN) is a small airport and cant accomodate a 737. I think the largest aircraft is an Air Canada CRJ. Longest runway is 16/34 at 6548x150. Even so .. HPN has a lot of NIMBYs, a lot of slot restrictions, and minimal space.

6548 is plenty for a 737-300 and so I assume a -700. My old hometown airport (LBA) had a 6000 ft runway so I was keenly aware of what could and could not make it. I think it's too short for an MD80. Not sure about DC9s. F70s/F100, Avros, and all the RJs should be fine. Heck, when they extended it to 7500 ft, they somehow had BA flying roundtrip joy rise out of that strip and for a while, Wardair operated charters to Canada on heavy metal (a 747 also IIRC) -- obviously weight restricted, but still.

I'm sure a pilot will have the balanced field length data to hand (where's my FLight International archive when I need it)

How long are the runways at MDW? Can't be much longer than 6000ft?

 

[funguy2]

How long are the runways at MDW? Can't be much longer than 6000ft?

MDW's longest runway is 6522'

Whether or not an aircraft can take-off / land from a short runway also has a lot to do with weight/balance and temperature.... So an aircraft may not be able to take off fully loaded from a short runway, but it may be able to take off on short-stage length or restricted payload flight.

Other "short" runways:

SNA: 5700' (nonstops to EWR on 737-700)
DCA: 6869' (nonstops to the west coast on some aircraft)
ISP: 7002' (now supporting 737-700 nonstop to LAS)
LGA: 7000'

 

[FWAAA]

As I pointed out earlier in this thread, AA will begin flying 737-800s to HPN from ORD in a few weeks once the F-100s are finally retired. WN could certainly fly its 737-700s as well (but likely not transcons or to Vegas).

 

[ramper_in_las]

6548 is plenty for a 737-300 and so I assume a -700.

WN 700's have next generation engines by GE. They are much more efficient and very powerful. It is not uncommon for a 700 leaving LAS with a 10000# payload and head to MDW.

 

[SVQLBA]

MDW's longest runway is 6522'

Whether or not an aircraft can take-off / land from a short runway also has a lot to do with weight/balance and temperature.... So an aircraft may not be able to take off fully loaded from a short runway, but it may be able to take off on short-stage length or restricted payload flight.

Other "short" runways:

SNA: 5700' (nonstops to EWR on 737-700)
DCA: 6869' (nonstops to the west coast on some aircraft)
ISP: 7002' (now supporting 737-700 nonstop to LAS)
LGA: 7000'

Does ATA have to restrict its 757's from MDW? Also, DCA gets lots of 767s (DL an others).

Downline7 -- the Nimby's around HPN could be watching a bunch of interesting metal. Traffic restrictions and apron/terminal space may restrict it, but the runway won't.

 

[daveinric]

SYR!!!

Upstate New York's best airport has seen a sharp increase in passenger volumes in recent months, thanks to addition of new low cost service. The addition of LUV to the roster of airlines there would be a long home run for all concerned. LUV should have gone to SYR before picking ALB or BUF...location, location, location.

 

[whlinder]

Also, DCA gets lots of 767s (DL an others).

I think you're thinking of LGA.

DCA doesn't get anything bigger than 757s.

(Though UA landed a DC10 there in an emergency a few years ago and IIRC EA flew A300s in there back in the day).

 

[Tanker]

When Herb was talking to my upgrade class over 4 years ago he said that the biggest mistake he made at SWA was pulling out of Anchorage & Colorado Springs. After saying that he then said that it was too easy to make money by going to cities east of the Mississippi to go anywhere else. My guess is that all expansion for the next couple of years will be in PHL. If we do see a new city it will be Fort Meyers, Pittsburgh, or Charleston SC.

 

[ramper_in_las]

Does ATA have to restrict its 757's from MDW?

NO

 

[runway4]

Westchester County Airport (HPN) is a small airport and cant accomodate a 737. I think the largest aircraft is an Air Canada CRJ. Longest runway is 16/34 at 6548x150. Even so .. HPN has a lot of NIMBYs, a lot of slot restrictions, and minimal space.

Another possible drag for carriers out of HPN that I've heard of is carriers can't staff their own ground crews. Ground personnel are Westchester County employees (who knows... could be cheaper in the end but brand and service could suffer, particularly for a carrier like WN).

 

[funguy2]

I've also thought, for a while, that Newburgh (SWF) would be a good way for LUV to expand its NYC area position... While not as close as HPN, relatively few restrictions, and with LUV's brand recognition, would certainly draw folks from Upstate NYC Suburbs, Northern NJ, maybe CT... I don't think any other airline could increase the driving radius for SWF than LUV, simply because of LUV's marketing and ability to offer a nation-wide service... (i.e. not many folks know who Southeast is, and they only go to Florida).