ATA says good-bye to DCA/LGA.

[Alex T]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/


ATA to end flights to New York LaGuardia, Washington National

ATA Airlines will end scheduled service to both Washington Reagan National and New York LaGuardia airports by the beginning of January, ATA COO Gary Ellmer says in an internal memo obtained by Today in the Sky.

I can confirm that part of this planned leave is for the enhancement of the intl expansion being planned with WN and ATA, but the new rumor which I cannot confirm or deny, is WN will now be seen in DCA and LGA, with the understanding slots go back to DOT to be re bidded again. Its a matter of who gets the slots back from the DOT.

Any crazy ideas by you folks?!

Alex

[T-Bird76]

wow I'm a bit surprised...I guess ATA's figures it could use the planes elsewhere... Its to bad, ATA's planes were one of the nicer looking looking planes at LGA. Phil will be in a state of depression after reading this.

[adam613]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this from a business perspective. I don't see the Southwest approach working very well at LGA or DCA; the base costs there are way too high, and the overcrowding will make it hard for Southwest to use their point-to-point keep-aircraft-in-the-air-all-of-the-time strategy.

But from a personal perspective, I like the idea. Any additional capacity between NYC and FLL has the potential to save me money, as I tend to fly to FLL on holidays like Thanksgiving. And bright color schemes like WN look nice at Planeview :D

[MarkLawrence]

<<==== would love to see AmTran at FLL!!!! :borat:

[cancidas]

:cry:

[hiss srq]

I am quite sad about this and I assure you that WN will not see a very werlcomeing experince here at LGA if that were so.



Signed, every airline currently serving LGA

[PhilDernerJr]

That hurt.

[T-Bird76]

I am quite sad about this and I assure you that WN will not see a very werlcomeing experince here at LGA if that were so.



Signed, every airline currently serving LGA

Just like the welcome US gave them at BWI Ryan...hmmm where's US at BWI now..LOL ;)

I really would be surprised to see WN enter LGA, I just can't imagine them dealing with the delays. There has to be a very good reason why ATA is pulling out. One would have to imagine they need those planes elsewhere or hopefully to open up some new destinations. Although I'm affraid as I predicted well over a year ago ATA would become a charter and vacation charter airline.

[lijk604]

I still cannot see SWA @ LGA...way too many variables on delays and how it would impact their schedule downline. I'm still surprised they are in SFO, but I guess the market demands it.

[PhilDernerJr]

Even if there was open space at LGA, Port wouldn't care for 737s cutting corners on taxiways and hopping the grass at 70 knots.

I'd better codeshare to LA before the year is up!

[hiss srq]

Even if there was open space at LGA, Port wouldn't care for 737s cutting corners on taxiways and hopping the grass at 70 knots.

I'd better codeshare to LA before the year is up!
hahahahaahahaha

[Nick Bartolotta]

There has to be a very good reason why ATA is pulling out. One would have to imagine they need those planes elsewhere or hopefully to open up some new destinations. Although I'm affraid as I predicted well over a year ago ATA would become a charter and vacation charter airline.

There absolutely is a good reason: they can't make money flying those two routes. The market is filled with so many seats from competing carriers. Just because United and American aren't flying into Midway doesn't mean they're still not competing on that route, and the Chicago-New York/DC market just had too many seats. In order to fill their planes, ATA had to bring the fares so low, to the point where they had a full plane, and yet loosing lots of money operating the flight. The majors can afford to bring down their fares to compete, and run airlines out of the market, and that is exactly what happened here.

Hawaii has been doing very well for ATA, even in the off peak season, and the charter business has been making ATA a lot of money. The primary reason they are still in the red is that they were being slaughtered on the east coast routes. So rather then continue to bleed until they eventually die, they opted to stop the bleeding. Hopefully this will let ATA back into the black and I know it's opening the door to a very exciting future.

With that said, they are certainly not becoming a charter airline only. Scheduled service is still a part of their business, and will remain part of it. Just not in New York or Washington DC anymore.

[hiss srq]

Is ATA not considered a LCC? I certainly will miss seeing them around LGA. Very freindly crews. There is a small crew base here at LGA as well that is going to be dissolved I guess as well. I remember when they were noteably seen at JFK. I flew them roundtrip to PIE a few times when the JFK-PIE-SJU-PIE-JFK service existed with the 727. Will ATA shift operations to JFK and prhaps try other markets as a result. I would love to see them back at it going to PIE from JFK with perhaps 737-800's.

[Delta777LR]

Im very sad to see ATA go soon. It was one of the best looking liveries ive seen at LGA. Keep snapping shots of ATA at LGA while you can...

[Mateo]

The competition at DCA was fierce - UA runs DCA-ORD 15x daily (!!), going essentially hourly from 6a to 8p. AA has a little less, something like 7 or 8x, but both of those have FF bases and essentially limitless connections ex-O'Hare to draw from. ATA's 3x service was barely a blip on the radar, and didn't even do anything to hold fares down from the big boys.

[PhilDernerJr]

Here's an editorial I wrote about ATA's leaving: http://nycaviation.com/editorials#derner102007

[Nick Bartolotta]

Excellent piece, Phil...it will be very sad indeed not having the gold flag in LGA...


There is a small crew base here at LGA as well that is going to be dissolved I guess as well.

It's actually a "New York" crew base, more-so then an "LGA" one, and it will remain. There are a significant number of DC-10, L1011 and 757 crews based in New York, however, those crews are doing 99% charter flights, so they are pretty much home based, and just get positioned for the charters...the base itself is just a name.