[STrek777]

Originally Posted by ATLonthebrain

DL was one of the only airlines to report a profit for 2Q08. Most legacy carriers reported losses, though a couple of them were relatively small. The fact is that DL is doing something beyond fuel hedging to come out in the black. The day ATL sees half as much DL service as it does today is the day DL ceases to exist, because ATL is its bread and butter, hands down. If not for ATL, the global airline known as DL would not be global at all. So, while the industry is going through unprecedented challenges at the moment, primarily due to ridiculously high fuel prices, places such as ATL will continue to play a huge role in the survival of hub carriers DL & FL.

The South Terminal Complex may not be built for a while, but that's what a Master Plan is for. The trigger on those projects needed for future growth won't be pulled until a demand milestone is reached. That is probably right around 100 Million passengers. I'm expecting to visit ATL next week and will ask some of my friends at the Airport to find out what the magic number is.

Also, keep in mind that ATL just announced an up to 1,500ft extension of its already longest runway to accommodate fully loaded widebody aircraft 365-days a year. This is big money, though largely federally funded, to throw at increasing capacity, and it is coming with Delta's strong support.

ATL will be just fine, and I think will come out ahead of a lot of other airports partly due to the growing population base of the Metro Area. It is still going up, and that is a good thing ultimately for air travel demand. That is, as long as oil doesn't rise to and settle at $150 or higher, because many won't be able to afford to fly if that occurs.

Ditto