Southwest Airlines plans to begin service at Pittsburgh International Airport, a source familiar with the plans said today. The move, expected to be announced later today, is the latest blow to US Airways, which is the dominant carrier in Western Pennsylvania even though it drastically reduced its service at Pittsburgh last year.
Southwest generally enters a new market with fares as much as 40 percent to 60 percent lower than existing prices. The airline's arrival often pressures other carriers to knock prices lower.
Last spring, Southwest began service at Philadelphia International Airport, one of US Airways' largest hub airports. Since then, US Airways has overhauled its pricing strategy and cut fares by as much as 60 percent at the airport to avoid losing customers.
Southwest's entry into Pittsburgh also is a blow to fledgling Independence Air, which offers discount fares from Dulles International.
Southwest flies from Baltimore-International Airport. But the airline may soon initiate service from Washington's Reagan National Airport. Late last year, Southwest took over several airport gates from ATA Airlines, the Indianapolis-based low-cost, low-fare airline that filed for bankruptcy in the fall. Included in that purchase was ATA's gates at Chicago's Midway Airport, Reagan National and New York's La Guardia Airport.
