
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 15, 1990                   TAG: 9006150162
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GEORGE KEGLEY BUSINESS EDITOR
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

USAIR HAS PLANS TO SWITCH; LYNCHBURG WOULD RATHER FIGHT

USAir's move to drop three jet flights from Lynchburg to Charlotte, replacing them with smaller commuter planes, left a Lynchburg development official "disgusted" Thursday.

Lee Cobb, economic development director for Region 2000 in Lynchburg, said USAir will have a net result of more flights with fewer seats from his city.

Cobb and other Lynchburg officials expressed anger at the unexpected cutback, two days after they had talked with USAir about plans for Lynchburg's new $12 million airport terminal.

The terminal will have "jetways, not used," he said, and Lynchburg is "paying the price for USAir's mismanagement and inefficiency."

Passenger boardings are down; he said the company "has driven traffic away and affected the market so there are not enough riders."

He quoted Joseph Freeman, a Lynchburg City Council member, as saying the city should seek another airline and calling on Congress to look into the situation of the airline's "unregulated monopoly."

Freeman said he hopes people will continue using the airport despite the cutback.

USAir said it will use larger planes on four daily flights from Lynchburg to Baltimore/Washington International Airport.

The addition of five USAir express flights from Lynchburg to Charlotte will greatly increase the number of connecting flights available at the Charlotte hub, the airline said.

by CNB