Rivals fight special treatment for National

Monday, Sept. 30, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.

The two largest airlines serving McCarran International Airport are demanding that bankrupt National Airlines not be given preferential treatment in paying debts to the Las Vegas airport.

In separate letters to Randy Walker, director of the Clark County's Department of Aviation, Southwest and America West airlines say they would be forced to subsidize National if the Las Vegas-based airline is allowed to defer payments on leases and fees.

Southwest's letter, dated today, was written by Bob Montgomery, vice president of properties and facilities for the airline and chairman of a committee of 19 airlines serving McCarran.

The weekly newspaper In Business Las Vegas, a sister publication to the Las Vegas Sun, reported in its Sept. 27 edition about America West's letter, which the company said was sent on behalf of the committee.

" ... If the airport enters into any type of preferential agreement with National, we would expect the airport to offer those same terms to the other carriers at McCarran at the same time as offered to National," the America West letter says.

Airport Director Randy Walker said he was disappointed in the letter. "Some of these other airlines have a short memory about how we worked with them when they were struggling," he said.

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