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Nov 21, 2008 7:00 pm US/Eastern
Southwest Air To Give Up Gates At BWI Marshall
LINTHICUM, Md. (WJZ) ―
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Southwest Airlines wants to give up some of its gates at BWI Marshall Airport.
CBS
Southwest Airlines wants to give up some of its gates at BWI Marshall Airport to save money in this tough economy.
As Mike Hellgren reports, the airline claims it won't impact service.
Just three years after the huge $300 million terminal "A" opened at BWI Marshall, its main tenant, Southwest Airlines, wants to give up some of its gates.
The airline says the move will keep costs in line with the space it needs. Flights are not expected to change.
But longtime customers are wary.
"If the numbers of flights are affected that would concern us," said Jen Goode, customer.
"It concerns me, especially in this time of so much important change going on in the nation's capital, that this hub has provided affordable access to the nation's capital," said Julie Davids, customer.
When Southwest expanded here in 2005, airline officials told Eyewitness News, "The market dictated it. We needed space," said Steve Goldberg, Southwest Airlines.
But times have changed.
Southwest still handles 52 percent of all passengers at BWI Marshall, making it the top passenger airline here. About 57,656 people fly Southwest planes each day.
But the economic downturn has hit the airline with a 14.2 percent drop in passengers this August compared to the year before.
"Southwest is committed to this market. The airline has indicated that any real estate changes here at the airport will not impact its service for customers in the region," said Jonathan Dean, BWI Marshall spokesman.
Dean would not say how many gates Southwest wants to give up.
"The current lease agreement with the airline expires at the end of June next year, so we expect to have some resolution before then," said Dean.
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