Delta stops nonstop flights between Ricmont and New York

Delta has been providing four flights daily on that route, using 50-seat Canadair CRJ100 regional jets.

The reduction will leave Richmond International Airport with 20 daily nonstops to the three New York metro-area airports.

The Richmond cuts are part “of our previously reported domestic capacity reductions,” Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliott said, “as we move toward matching capacity with current demand.”

“We’re disappointed that Delta did not choose to maintain the service,” said Richmond International Airport spokesman Troy Bell.

“It reflects the decline in business travel,” said VCU transportation economist George Hoffer, who also noted that, “New York is clearly the most overserved market from Richmond.”

RIC’s 2008 passenger traffic was off 4 percent compared with its 2007 passenger volume.

Richmond’s largest single airline, Delta carries about a quarter of RIC’s passengers.

Delta will still operate four daily flights to New York’s Kennedy International Airport, Elliott said. US Airways has seven daily nonstops to LaGuardia.

On Jan. 5, AirTran Airways dropped its two short-lived Richmond-LaGuardia flights. AirTran started service from RIC to LaGuardia Aug. 7, just before the financial crisis hit the economy.

Three airports serve New York: LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International, and Newark International, in New Jersey. It is the top market for Richmond International.

LaGuardia is often seen as New York’s primary business airport. Traditionally, international flights used JFK. Delta uses Kennedy for its international gateway, and JFK is also JetBlue Airways’ base. Newark serves northern New Jersey and New York, as well as being a hub for Continental Airlines.

source: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2164630/

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Tagged as: Airline, Airports, Business