Philadelphia International Airport retains a solid position in the US Airways/American Air network

Philadelphia International Airport seems to be holding its own within the combined network of American and US Airways, with most of its long-haul service available prior to the merger remaining intact.

After the two airlines decided to merge, questions surfaced about whether Philadelphia would maintain its status as a gateway to Europe given its proximity to legacy American's hub at New York JFK. But the airports cater to different markets, and US Airways/American has a lock on several markets from Philadelphia to Europe.

Similar to other US airports lacking service to Asia, trans-Pacific flights are a major target for Philadelphia as plans are under way for a runway extension to support aircraft carrying more fuel. New flights to Asia are not on the immediate horizon, but in the short term, Philadelphia travellers have efficient one-stop service through Doha with Qatar's service from the airport.