USand AA are seeking approval for a merger that would create the world's largest airline, are warning lawmakers that a requirement to divest certain airport slots would lead to less service for small and medium-sized cities, sources close to the effort told Reuters. The airlines may be required to shed slots DCA to prevent market domination. There is concern that those slots could go to rivals, such as JetBlue Airways which would likely use them for flights to major cities. That could have the trickledown effect of leaving smaller markets such as TLH,AGS,CLT and CRW, without a daily flight to the nation's capital. Airport officials in cities such as Tallahassee, Florida; Augusta, Georgia; and Charleston, West Virginia, said on Friday that they had also written to Congress and the Department of Transportation requesting that the merged carrier be allowed to keep the current gate access it has at DCA.
Sunil Harman, director of aviation at TLH, said there is currently one daily flight provided by US Airways on a 50-seat jet into DCA.
Among other U.S. carriers, JetBlue has said publicly that the combined American-US Airways should have to shed Reagan National slots for competitive reasons. This week, Delta Air Lines told Reuters in an interview that it also saw potential opportunities to benefit should divestitures be required of the new American...