=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2004/10/18/f= inancial1111EDT0077.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, October 18, 2004 (AP) US Airways flight changes emphasize Philadelphia, Charlotte MATTHEW BARAKAT, AP Business Writer (10-18) 08:11 PDT ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) -- US Airways said Monday it will change its flight schedules in February to increase departures at its Charlotte and Philadelphia hubs and create a minihub in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The schedules that take effect Feb. 6 are part of the bankrupt airline's previously announced plans to transform its operations from a traditional hub-and-spoke carrier into a low-cost airline like JetBlue or America West. US Airways will retain hubs in Philadelphia and Charlotte, but arrivals and departures in Philadelphia will be changed to provide a steady flow of flights throughout the day, rather than the peak and off-peak hours that are typical of a traditional hub-and-spoke network. The new schedule in Philadelphia will allow for greater efficiency and flexibility, the airline said. Total daily departures in Philadelphia will increase to 495, a 7 percent increase from the upcoming November schedule and 32 percent more than in February 2004. Charlotte will continue operations as what the airline calls a "modified hub-and-spoke" system, with 564 daily departures beginning in February, compared with 495 currently and 464 in February 2004. US Airways previously announced plans to sharply cut service in Pittsbur= gh in November, dropping the city from hub status to a "focus city." The airline said Monday it expects 229 daily departures in February to 67 destinations in February; the airline currently has about 370 daily departures out of Pittsburgh. On Feb. 13, daily departures from Fort Lauderdale will double from 27 to 54, as the airline seeks to expand its profitable network in the Caribbean. Overall, the February schedule changes assume a fleet of 281 mainline je= ts and 169 smaller, regional jets. The airline received authority in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday to drop below a minimum mainline fleet size of 279 mainline jets that had been part of the airline's collective bargaining agreements with its unions. An airline official said Monday that the company's transformation plan h= as always been based on a fleet of about 280 jets and the airline simply wants the ability to downsize if future market conditions demand a reduction. The airline has also been implementing a reduced, simplified fare structure throughout its network, including at its Philadelphia hub. The airline is also seeking to reduce its labor costs by $950 million a year. On Friday, the airline received court approval to temporarily cut the pay of nearly all its union workers by 21 percent while it negotiates long-term concessions with its unions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2004 AP