Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.
SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
America West Airlines will be the primary beneficiary of last week's closure of National Airlines of Las Vegas, a New York airline analyst said. Southwest Airlines also is expected to benefit to some degree from the shutdown.
Neither airline has announced expansion plans in relation to Wednesday's abrupt closure that stranded thousands of passengers and put 1,500 people, including 1,200 Las Vegas-area residents, out of work.
National's demise "not only eliminates an irrational pricer in the market, but it also helps America West and Southwest, who have sizable Vegas operations," wrote Michael Linenberg, airline analyst at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York.
An America West spokeswoman said last week the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline has no immediate plans to add flights to take advantage of the elimination of an average 34 daily National round trips. Of 11 markets served by National, America West competed directly on 10 of the routes and in the one market where it didn't have direct competition -- Washington D.C. -- America West serves alternate airports.
The second-largest airline serving McCarran International Airport, America West offers an average 77 daily flights to 34 destinations, airport statistics said. The company also is affiliated with Mesa Airlines, a commuter carrier that operates as America West Express, which offers an average four daily flights to four additional cities.
America West has flown 4 million passengers to and from McCarran in 2002 through September.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, the leading carrier at McCarran, also has no plans to increase service.
Of the 11 National destinations, Southwest only went head-to-head in three markets, but served alternate airports in six others. Southwest has flown 8.1 million passengers to and from McCarran through this year.
Southwest has an average of 166 daily operations to 42 destinations from McCarran, according to the airport.
Southwest Chief Executive Officer Jim Parker said today that Southwest has no plans to increase service in Las Vegas following National's closure.
America West, Frontier, American Trans Air and Alaska Airlines have been accommodating National customers on a standby basis and America West said that it should be able to provide options for most National customers.
Separately at America West, just 1,572 of the 3,619 customer service employees eligible to vote supported representation by the Teamsters union.
"We are pleased that our employees recognize the progress we have made and will continue to make," Douglas Parker, chief executive of the No. 8 U.S. carrier, said in a statement.
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