TEMPE, Ariz., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC)
told the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today that the airline's
bid for daily service to China in 2009 provides maximum competition for
U.S. consumers and greater convenience for shippers, while also
establishing a new gateway to China for more than 150,000 passengers
annually.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO)
"Selection of US Airways will allow a strong new competitor to
institute daily nonstop service from a new gateway, using the largest
aircraft proposed by any U.S.-Beijing applicant," the airline said in reply
filings with the DOT today. "US Airways' application also offers the dual
benefits of extensive behind- and beyond-gateway connections, through its
comprehensive East Coast network and codeshare arrangements with both Air
China and Shanghai Airlines."
The airline is proposing seven weekly roundtrip flights serving more
than 150,000 travelers annually on wide-body Airbus A340 269-seat aircraft
between Philadelphia and Beijing. Service would originate at the airline's
hub in Charlotte, N.C., on a 204-seat Boeing 767 aircraft.
The airline's case, detailed at http://www.usairways.com/china, is
supported by an extensive array of elected officials from the Northeast and
mid-Atlantic states. More than 40,000 people also have signed the airline's
online e-petition.
The last day to file papers with the DOT was today. If approved by DOT,
US Airways' flights would begin in March 2009 and would be the first-ever
service to Asia both for the City of Philadelphia and under the US Airways'
brand.
In announcing the application earlier this month, US Airways Chairman
and CEO Doug Parker said US Airways' proposal will close a service gap "by
greatly improving access to China for the large and dynamic Philadelphia
market and by offering travelers convenient one-stop connections from 37
cities into our Philadelphia hub."
Philadelphia is the second largest city on the East Coast and the fifth
in the nation, with a metropolitan area of almost 6 million people. It is
also the second largest U.S. metro area without nonstop service to China.
Noting that half the U.S. population lives along the East Coast and
that travelers to China are served now by only 25 flights weekly from
gateways in Washington, D.C., and New York, the airline said that "the East
Coast, and Philadelphia in particular, plainly needs additional nonstop
China service."
In addition to increased convenience and competition for passengers,
the airline also pointed out unprecedented benefits for cargo shippers,
noting that the Charlotte-Philadelphia catchment area represents nearly 50
percent of the U.S.-China cargo market, with a value of more than $30
billion. "Depending on customs processing times, cargo leaving Beijing
could be available for pick-up in Charlotte the same day," the airline
said.
The DOT is expected to grant authority to U.S. carriers to operate four
new U.S.-China routes in 2009, and has suggested that the routes would be
assigned to at least one carrier that does not currently serve China.
One of the industry's most financially stable airlines, US Airways has
made significant investments in its Philadelphia hub since its merger with
America West in the fall of 2005, including a commitment to expand
international service from Philadelphia. Today, US Airways is the third
largest carrier between Europe and the U.S. in number of destinations
served, with flights to 19 European cities.
US Airways currently serves 19 million customers annually at its
Philadelphia hub, and operates 448 daily flights to 106 destinations in the
United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.
This summer the airline added international service to Athens, Greece;
Brussels, Belgium; and Zurich, Switzerland from Philadelphia, and will
begin offering year-round service between Philadelphia and Dublin, Ireland
this fall.
US Airways is the fifth largest domestic airline employing more than
36,000 aviation professionals worldwide. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and
US Airways Express operate approximately 3,800 flights per day and serve
more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and
Latin America. The new US Airways -- the product of a merger between
America West and US Airways in September 2005 -- is a member of the Star
Alliance network, which offers our customers 16,000 daily flights to 855
destinations in 155 countries worldwide. This press release and additional
information on US Airways can be found at http://www.usairways.com. (LCCG)
-Fly with US-
Forward Looking Statements
Certain of the statements contained herein should be considered
"forward- looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be
identified by words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "indicate,"
"anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimate," "plan," "guidance,"
"outlook," "could," "should," "continue" and similar terms used in
connection with statements regarding the outlook of US Airways Group, Inc.
(the "Company"). Such statements include, but are not limited to,
statements about expected fuel costs, the revenue and pricing environment,
the Company's expected financial performance and operations, future
financing plans and needs, overall economic conditions and the benefits of
the business combination transaction involving America West Holdings
Corporation and US Airways Group, including future financial and operating
results and the combined companies' plans, objectives, expectations and
intentions. Other forward-looking statements that do not relate solely to
historical facts include, without limitation, statements that discuss the
possible future effects of current known trends or uncertainties or which
indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be
predicted, guaranteed or assured. Such statements are based upon the
current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the
Company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from
the Company's expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are
not limited to, the following: the impact of high fuel costs, significant
disruptions in the supply of aircraft fuel and further significant
increases to fuel prices; our high level of fixed obligations and our
ability to obtain and maintain financing for operations and other purposes;
our ability to achieve the synergies anticipated as a result of the merger
and to achieve those synergies in a timely manner; our ability to integrate
the management, operations and labor groups of US Airways Group and America
West Holdings; labor costs and relations with unionized employees generally
and the impact and outcome of labor negotiations; the impact of global
instability, including the current instability in the Middle East, the
continuing impact of the military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the potential impact of future
hostilities, terrorist attacks, infectious disease outbreaks or other
global events that affect travel behavior; reliance on automated systems
and the impact of any failure or disruption of these systems; the impact of
future significant operating losses; changes in prevailing interest rates;
our ability to obtain and maintain commercially reasonable terms with
vendors and service providers and our reliance on those vendors and service
providers; security-related and insurance costs; changes in government
legislation and regulation; our ability to use pre-merger NOLs and certain
other tax attributes; competitive practices in the industry, including
significant fare restructuring activities, capacity reductions and in court
or out of court restructuring by major airlines; continued existence of
prepetition liabilities; interruptions or disruptions in service at one or
more of our hub airports; weather conditions; our ability to obtain and
maintain any necessary financing for operations and other purposes; our
ability to maintain adequate liquidity; our ability to maintain contracts
that are critical to our operations; our ability to operate pursuant to the
terms of our financing facilities (particularly the financial covenants);
our ability to attract and retain customers; the cyclical nature of the
airline industry; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;
economic conditions; and other risks and uncertainties listed from time to
time in our reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. There may be
other factors not identified above of which the Company is not currently
aware that may affect matters discussed in the forward-looking statements,
and may also cause actual results to differ materially from those
discussed. All forward-looking statements are based on information
currently available to the Company. The Company assumes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect actual
results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such
estimates. Additional factors that may affect the future results of the
Company are set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the
Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2007,
which is available at http://www.usairways.com.
SOURCE US Airways
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http://www.usairways.com
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CONTACT:
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