SkyWest loses on AirTran deal
- Southwest CEO Gary Kelly is excited about the company's recent developments with AirTran.
- SkyWest is losing its capacity purchase feed at Milwaukee, affecting six routes.
- The move was prompted by Southwest's pilot contract, which does not allow codesharing in the US.
- Southwest is the smallest low-cost carrier in the Milwaukee market.
- Southwest is considering how to maintain service to the affected cities in Milwaukee.
- Any future service to those cities would likely involve larger aircraft.
SkyWest currently serves six routes, using four aircraft between Milwaukee, Des Moines, Omaha, St Louis, Indianapolis, Akron and Pittsburgh. The five-year agreement began in 2009 with a 120-day cancellation notice clause.
The move was prompted by Southwest's pilot contract which does not allow codesharing in the US, according to the Dallas Morning News, which attended the meeting and the press scrum afterwards where Mr Kelly made his remarks.
Southwest is the smallest of the three low-cost carriers in the Milwaukee market and its acquisition of AirTran now pits Frontier against the behemoth airline. Southwest is considering how it can keep those cities in the Milwaukee sphere. Saying Milwaukee remains a good opportunity, despite Southwest's Midway hub under 100 miles from MKE, he said any service to those points would be with larger aircraft.