FOREIGN HUBS KEY TO HARTSFIELD’S FUTURE?

ATLANTA’S HARTSFIELD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MUST ATTRACT HUBS FOR FOREIGN AIRLINES IF IT WISHES TO REMAIN THE GATEWAY TO THE SOUTHEAST, EVEN IF THEY COMPETE DIRECTLY WITH U.S. CARRIERS, WARNS MARC KALMANN, AN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TOURISM

CONSULTANT.

ATLANTA CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE TOURISTS DUE TO AN ABSENCE OF DIRECT INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND CONNECTING DESTINATIONS; NOR CAN ATLANTA ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS IF WE CANNOT OFFER INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PASSENGERS FLIGHTS WHEN THEY NEED TO FLY, AND CONNECTIONS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, SAID KALMANN, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A FOUR-WEEK MARKETING TRIP TO EUROPE WHERE HE MET WITH EXECUTIVES FROM AIR FRANCE, IBERIA, KLM, LUFTHANSA AND BRITISH AIRWAYS.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY EXPRESS CONCERN TO APPROPRIATE LEGISLATORS, MOVERS AND SHAKERS OVER THE DOT AND THE FAA’S APPROACH TO FOREIGN CARRIERS IN THE U.S., GIVEN THE INFLUENCE OF CERTAIN DOMESTIC CARRIERS WHO, IN RECENT MONTHS, HAVE RECEIVED A GENEROUS WINDFALL OF INHERITED EUROPEAN HUBS, BUT NOW STAUNCHLY OPPOSE INCREASED FOREIGN CARRIER ACCESS TO TOURIST AND BUSINESS TRAVELERS, IN THE STATES, HE SAID REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO DELTA AND UNITED AIRLINES.

IN AN EFFORT TO BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE, KALMANN HAS PROPOSED THE CREATION OF A NON-POLITICAL TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE FOREIGN HUB ISSUE AND HAS RECEIVED ASSURANCES FROM MORE THAN 20 PROMOTERS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN THE ATLANTA AREA THAT THEY WILL ATTEND A MEETING TO BE HELD DURING THE NEXT FEW  WEEKS TO EVALUATE HIS CONCERNS.

BUT  MIGUEL SOUTHWELL, A MARKET ANALYST FOR THE AIRPORT, RESPONDED THAT KALMANN MISREPRESENTS THE INTENTIONS OF THE AIRPORT WHICH HAS HAD AGGRESSIVE MARKETING PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN CARRIERS SINCE 1981. HE ADDED THAT HARTSFIELD IS IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING WITH TWO FOREIGN CARRIERS ABOUT OPENING HUBS, AND THAT DELAYS ARE REQUIRED BY THE REVIEW PROCESS WHICH ALSO INCLUDES WASHINGTON D.C. AGENCIES. WHY WOULDN’T THE AIRPORT WANT A FOREIGN HUB? HE QUESTIONED.

UNTIL 18 MONTHS AGO BI-LATERAL AGREEMENTS WERE SO TIGHT THAT THEY DID NOT ALLOW FOR SUCH ARRANGEMENTS, SAID SOUTHWELL, WHO POINTED TO IBERIA AIRLINE’S RELOCATING A HUB FROM LOS ANGELES TO MIAMI AS THE IMPETUS FOR THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS.  WITH THE GLOBALIZATION OF MARKETS, WE KNOW

THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT, BUT THE IDEA OF HAVING HUBS FOR FOREIGN CARRIERS IS STILL BRAND NEW.