US majors Delta Air Lines and US Airways through the tabling of a surprise agreement have opted to swap airport slots in two key US East Coast markets. Delta aims to transition 42 slots at Washington National airport to US Airways, in exchange for 125 US Airways Express slots at New York LaGuardia airport.

Through its expanded presence at LaGuardia Delta plans to create a US domestic hub, drastically enlarging its footprint in the New York metropolitan area beyond its hub at John F Kennedy International airport.

While US Airways eliminates 26 regional markets from LaGuardia and 300 jobs at its Piedmont Airlines subsidiary, Delta aims to more than double its nonstop flights from the airport by adding or sustaining flights to more than 30 small and medium-sized cities.

Outlining its decision to employees US Airways explains it captures “only about four percent of all revenue generated among the New York airports of LaGuardia, JFK and Newark and after the [new]

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