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How Delta Came to Dominate Atlanta
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) has recently reclaimed its title as the world’s busiest airport. Though not serving the largest metropolitan areas of the world or even the country, Atlanta boasts massive passenger volumes thanks to Delta Air Lines, which runs its largest hub out of the southern U.S. city. Despite Delta’s modern-day dominance, the carrier faced one notable rival in recent history that threatened its dominance. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...
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Before AirTran/SW, was Eastern Airlines. Rumors had it Delta was considering Birmingham (BHM) as it’s Hub City. But the area’s issues w/Civil Rights & local leaders had their hands out for ‘Grease Money’ nixed that. Plus, BHM is pretty much landlocked w/ hills & an Army & Air National Guard Base on one side, & Interstate on the other side would have likely resulted in a prolonged battle in search of a new airport site.
Atlanta is a great airport. Passenger movement efficiency is VERY well done. Signage is well executed. Passenger amenities are located in common traffic flow areas AND by the gates. You don't get this at every airport, that's for sure.
I wish New Orleans would look at Atlanta and use it as a model to improve their own efficiency.
I thought the article would take us through the history hubs being developed, and the need for strategic locations with high capacity and generally decent weather. Then on to Eastern and Frank Lorenzo, and how his destruction of a once superlative airline gave DL a near-monopoly in ATL. And a bit about ValueJet. Maybe the author didn’t know about anything prior to the 2000s.
Good
Actually I think AirTrans was a better carrier than SW. SW is not really any cheaper than the legacy carriers and offers no premium cabin.
