US Airways Group and Delta Air Lines plan to swap 167 pairs of take-off and landing slots at two of the nation's most congested airports, with each airline adding service to small US cities, Dow Jones reported.
At the same time, airlines are coming under increasing scrutiny from US regulators, especially at New York's LaGuardia Airport, where slots for each take-off and landing are tightly controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The proposal would more than double Delta's non-stop flights at LaGuardia, adding 125 slots, and essentially forming a hub for domestic flights. Delta, the world's biggest airline, already operates an international hub out of New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Delta spokesman Kent Landers declined to comment on how profitable the company expects the transaction to be. The carrier plans to add service to more than 30 small and medium-sized markets.
US Airways will get 42 pairs of slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, now operated by Delta. It will also acquire rights to fly to two new markets, Tokyo and Sao Paulo. The carrier plans to fly direct to Tokyo from Phoenix and to Sao Paulo from Charlotte.
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