Delta primes to attack New York as first flights start from its new LaGuardia hub

Delta's aim to create a dual-hub structure in the New York market gets under way in earnest on 25-Mar-2012 when it launches the first crop of new flights from LaGuardia Airport, which it views as key to capturing business passengers who yearn for direct flights for easier access to Manhattan. Delta is betting it can reverse fortunes in some markets being abandoned by US Airways at LaGuardia to create a revenue premium.

After two years of refining their original slot swap proposal, Delta and US Airways finally received the US Government's blessing in late 2011 to trade slots at LaGuardia and Washington National airports. Delta secured 132 slot pairs from US Airways at LaGuardia and ceded 42 slot pairs to US Airways at Washington National Airport.

Once the second tranche of flights is introduced by Delta from LaGuardia in Jul-2012, the carrier will operate roughly 100 new daily flights from the airport to 29 destinations, many that were served by US Airways with smaller-gauge aircraft.