Rumor about PHL-January

[Art at ISP]

Last night while connecting through PHL, I heard a disturbing rumor from some friends in the club. I know we have a schedule reduction in January, but they have heard that mainline will lose 12 gates at PHL come January. Is this possible??
Again this is rumor, but does anyone have any additional information?

 

[chipmunn]

[FONT face=Times New Roman size=3]Art:[BR][BR]The company has unused gates in the new PHL Express terminal or a better way to say this is under utilized additional gates. I believe US has 33 of the 36 gates (25 of these gates have jetways) in the new wing. In addition, the company is adding 19 new gates this spring when the International terminal opens.[BR][BR]Chip [/FONT]

 

[geo1004]

Chip, can you tell us when the new PHL International terminal (A-West, I believe they are calling it) is scheduled to open? I've heard late-spring 2003. Is that correct? Also, I thought the new intl. terminal had 13, not 19 gates?

 

[phllax]

According to a piece on Channel 6 last week, the new terminal won't open until 2005 because that is the earliest they can get the new security equipment. It goes without saying, but I hope US is around to use the new facility.

 

[chipmunn]

Geo1004:

The PHL international concourse is now scheduled for completion in March 2003. The City of Philadelphia is negotiating with US Airways to take custody of the gates in March so the company begins paying lease expense; however, US Airways would like to delay the opening until May.

The airline would like to defer payments until the seasonally stronger second quarter that will coincide with the heavy travel season (Q2 and Q3).

The concourse will have 19 gates capable of 12 widebody aircraft.

Chip