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Yes, latitude41, PHL (Philadelphia) is a very expensive airport and the airlines are officially threatening to bolt because the plan is to triple the costs to the airlines with a huge new runways project. If USAirways pulls out of PHL like they did in Pittsburgh several years ago, passenger counts at T.F. Green could drop some more. This is a hub and spoke business and when a spoke (Green) loses a hub (PHL) it is almost impossible to keep many of the non-Rhode Island Green passengers from going to Logan or Bradley in Connecticut.

A year has gone by since the following article and things are much worse for the airport administration. USAirways is now threatening to pull out of PHL and Southwest is cutting way back. T.F. Green faces a similar threat if the expansion here goes forward.

Published Dec. 3, 2010 by Philadelphia Inquirer:

A $5.3 billion expansion of Philadelphia's airport - which the Nutter (Philadelphia Mayor) administration sees as vital to the region's growth - is being met with concerns from two airlines, and some nearby neighbors in Tinicum Township.

Those concerns, presented with support from Delaware County officials and soon-to-be U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, were expressed clearly Thursday at a (Philadelphia) City Council committee hearing.

US Airways Group Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. object to costs they will bear to pay for the expansion, and Tinicum residents are fuming over property that will be lost to a portion of the development.

"US Airways supports the concept of growth and long-term planning at PHL. However, we believe that premature construction of a new runway will make PHL a less economically viable airport and US Airways a less economically viable airline," US Airways' vice president for corporate real estate, Michael Minerva, wrote July 29 to Mark Gale, the airport's chief executive officer. US Airways is Philadelphia's biggest carrier.

Minerva said a new runway alone would not greatly alleviate delays in takeoffs and landings "until there is a solution to local airspace congestion." Philadelphia is in the busy Northeast air corridor.

From: Southwest starts daily flight to Denver

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