America West Airlines chose not to bid on Chicago Midway airport assets of ATA Airlines, now in bankruptcy. The move set up a battle between AirTran Airways, which had agreed to buy ATA assets for about $90 million, and Southwest Airlines, which already plans a major Midway expansion and may spend $100 million on the ATA assets. America West chief executive Doug Parker says the carrier could reach agreement with ATA aircraft lessors if it wanted extra capacity for expansion and that the risks and costs of an acquisition would outweigh the value.
Source: Airline Business
