Cut won't put limits on flights at Cape

The latest cost-cutting measure from American Airlines -- to slash its number of nonstop flights from Lambert Airport in half -- will not affect its three round-trip commuter flights from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to St. Louis, officials said Wednesday.

But it will certainly make flying more difficult for travelers who are looking to make a connection from St. Louis to destinations such as Albuquerque, N.M., Detroit and Little Rock, Ark.

"There will still be three round-trip flights from Cape," said company spokesman Todd Burke. "But once they get there, there will be some markets that no longer have nonstop service from American."

American plans to close its reservations office in St. Louis on Sept. 15 and reduce the number of daily departures at Lambert Airport from 417 to 207 on Nov. 1. The changes are part of efforts by American to cut costs and streamline operations as it seeks to rebuild financial stability.

Burke said 95 percent of travelers to and from St. Louis still will be able to travel nonstop to the markets they currently do on American or another airline already serving St. Louis.

"It was a tough decision," Burke said. "But the moves we announced are smart financial moves as we consider our future."

Traveler's concern

That was little solace to David King, who lives in Patton, Mo., but flies into and out of the Cape Girardeau airport each week as part of his job working on hospital computers around the country.

"It does concern me," he said. "There are about five cities on the list that I go to. With the current cuts they've made, I end up sitting in the airport two or three hours. It's frustrating."

King said he is among the 14 local heavy travelers who had been lobbying for a fourth round trip to St. Louis.

When asked if the changes hurt the chances of that happening, King said: "It certainly sounds like it, doesn't it?"

The Cape Girardeau airport also had been lobbying American Airlines to add a fourth flight. Airport officials courted larger businesses, including Procter & Gamble, to commit corporate travel dollars to business flights to help make that happen.

The airport has sought $100,000 from area businesses that would put money into travel trust accounts. That money, plus a $25,000 contribution from the city of Cape Girardeau, would allow the airport to get a $500,000 federal matching grant.

The travel accounts would be used by businesses to pay for their commercial travel to and from the Cape Girardeau airport.

But Cape Girardeau Regional Airport manager Bruce Loy said he was told there is no reason to believe American Airlines, which does business as American Connections at the airport here, still isn't considering adding a fourth flight.

In fact, Loy said, American is in the process of approaching businesses like P&G to gauge interest.

Ridership is down about 10 percent over last year, Loy said, but he doesn't believe this news will hurt ridership more.

"People are still looking to get to St. Louis," he said. "That's not going to change."

Gerald Arpey, American CEO and president, called the St. Louis flight-cutting decision "extremely difficult but vital" to the airline's future.

"We are going to make it a smaller hub that will primarily cater to the people who live, work or do business there," said Arpey. "Our other options were far less palatable, including the extreme of simply making St. Louis a spoke city with service only to our other hubs. Our current plan allows us to provide key services to the local community while strengthening our hubs at Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth."

The airline is also considering closing one of its three maintenance facilities, including one in Kansas City. The company says a decision is expected in the fall.

American bought TWA in 2001. St. Louis had been TWA's headquarters and primary hub.

The airline lost $75 million, or 47 cents a share, for the second quarter. That was a big improvement over the $1 billion lost during the first quarter of this year.

About 500 jobs will be eliminated with the closing of American's reservations center in downtown St. Louis. Officials of the airport in St. Louis and the city have begun courting other airlines to absorb the loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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