US Airways loses out on Colombia flight but may appeal – Charlotte Business Journal:

The carrier, which operates its largest hubat Charlotte/Douglasd International Airport, applied for service betweehn Charlotte and Bogota in October as the U.S. Department of Transportatiom began selecting carriers for new flightz to the SouthAmerican city. Last week, the DOT denies US Airways' proposal. It tentatively awarded flights to fromNew York'es Kennedy Airport, from Fla., from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and from Houston. US Airways spokeswomahn Michelle Mohr declines to elaborate onthe airline'x appeal plans or if the carrier will propose flyingg to other South American cities from here.
"Charlotte is such a flow markegfor us, and it's ideally situated" for Soutnh American flights, she says. "We applied for the routre because wethink it's a good fit and it'as the next logical step for us." Jerry Orr, Charlotte'sd aviation director, says such appeals of DOT decisions are rarel successful. "They've got to go back to the same peoplde whorejected them," he says. "Wha t are you going to say — 'It'ws not fair'?" analyst Brian Nelson says the DOT's decision couldd hurt the Tempe, Ariz.-based airline'x plan to build its South Americanm networkfrom Charlotte.
"I thinmk it is a hiccup in their planes to grow their international he says. Orr agrees. "It's certainly not helpful as a firsft step into South he says. But he expectse US Airways to apply for service from Charlottew to another SouthAmerican city. "This has becomde a huge hub," he says. "With (feeding flights) from all of the citie s connectingthrough Charlotte, we could supportf a route to any major (South city." Nelson says growing its international presence is essential for US "There will be other opportunities to expandr internationally down the road," he says. "And they need to focusa on that if they wantto survive.
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