Jacksonville International Airport

Southwest gives Memphis a tiny shot in the arm through new AirTran service

Memphis International Airport is getting a small boost during 2H2013 when Southwest, through its AirTran subsidiary, adds service to Baltimore, Chicago Midway and Orlando in Aug-2013. The new service being introduced by AirTran could possibly help combat the airport’s declining traffic stemming from Delta’s ongoing pull-down of its Memphis hub. AirTran is not directly replacing service to the smaller markets Delta is pulling down in Memphis, but Southwest appears ready to make a larger commitment to the airport as it works to usher in its own branded flights from Memphis later in 2013.

At the same time, Southwest appears to be eliminating some marginal markets from its network as the busy travel season in the US winds down, including the first route cut from Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina, a market Southwest inaugurated in Mar-2011. One of the initial markets from Greenville – Orlando, Florida – is being cut during 2H2013. Southwest is also taking over service operated by AirTran in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and adding its own branded flights to some of its larger markets.

Hub status of Memphis continues to diminish as Delta culls more service

A steady downsizing by Delta at its Memphis hub is continuing into 1Q2013 as the carrier plans to slash roughly 96 weekly frequencies from its scheduled offerings from the airport. After pulling down Memphis significantly since its 2008 merger with Northwest, the airport has shrunk to Delta’s smallest domestic US hub, bypassing Cincinnati, which has also faced its share of service cuts during the same time period.

Memphis suffers from a geographical disadvantage in relation to Delta’s mega hub in Atlanta, and also has a fair number of markets operated with 50-seat regional jets, an aircraft Delta is busy ridding itself of in favour of larger-gauge aircraft. Those elements continue to work against Memphis, leaving the airport to search for new carriers to fill the service gaps Delta’s downsizing continues to create.

The new reductions to Delta’s operations beginning in Jan-2013 follow elimination of approximately 56 weekly frequencies by Delta in Memphis in Aug-2012. Between Aug-2012 and Nov-2012 Delta’s peak day departures in Memphis fell from 125 to 115 after averaging 147 in Jul-2012.