US Airways has launched a new Express subsidiary, Potomac Air, at Washington DC National Airport in anticipation that the new operation will be rolled into the planned independent start-up DC Air. The move, however, depends on the US Government approving United's planned controversial $4.3 billion take-over of US Airways.
The Roanoke, Virginia-based start-up relies heavily on one of US Airways' three present Express subsidiaries, Piedmont Airlines. Potomac is initially equipped with a Bombardier Dash 8-200 borrowed from Piedmont, while its 120 staff include senior officials seconded from the Salisbury, Maryland-based carrier and sister carriers Allegheny and PSA.
Potomac launched operations on 5 January, sharing routes with Piedmont from Washington DC to Charleston, West Virginia; Greensboro, North Carolina, and White Plains, New York.
It plans to add another seven Dash 8s, mainly from Piedmont, and fly to Allentown, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania; Charlotte and Greenville-Spartanburg in North and South Carolina; Knoxville in Tennessee; Clarksburg, Greenbrier/Lewisburg and Morgantown in West Virginia; and Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke in Virginia.
"The airline was created to give us a presence in the Washington DC area, which ultimately will become DC Air," says US Airways. If the merger is blocked, US Airways plans to retain Potomac Air alongside its other subsidiaries.
The deal has run into opposition from within the US Congress and has yet to pass antitrust review by the Department of Justice.
Source: Flight International
