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Originally Posted by k1052
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Biggest potential for change may be this line in the article:
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Delta, for instance, after all but abandoning O'Hare a few years ago, now uses eight gates and wants a "significant' expansion.
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Naturally UA and AA would strenuously fight a large Delta presence, but if their monopolistic/duopolistic desires can be kept in check by city planners --- could ORD grow into the country's only tri-carrier hub (of mega carriers)? It wouldn't be a full-fledged Delta hub by any stretch, but, currently, DL doesn't fly anywhere from ORD other than its own big hubs. Presumably they'd much prefer ORD over nearby DTW in many ways, at least to the extent they wouldn't significantly sacrifice the benefits of their effective monopoly in Detroit. Since we're talking about multi-decade timeframes, you have to wonder whether a mid-21st-century bet on Detroit, as a major city and economic center that can support an inter-continental gateway, makes much sense (sorry!).
Anyhow, can't wait for tomorrow's presentation.