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Southwest Angles For LaGuardia

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By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: November 20, 2008

TAMPA - Southwest Airlines intends to buy seven daily round-trip takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia Airport from bankrupt ATA Airlines, which would allow it to serve the New York airport closest to Manhattan next year.

"If the deal is approved, I would expect Southwest to consider Tampa as they have in the past with flights to their new destinations in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh," Tampa International Airport director Louis Miller said.

Southwest currently serves the New York City area through Long Island's MacArthur Airport in Islip, 50 miles east of Manhattan. Delta Air Lines flies three daily round trips between Tampa and LaGuardia.

Southwest would pay $7.5 million in the deal, which must be approved by the U.S. bankruptcy court, a Southwest spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Although Southwest would offer to buy ATA, the deal is intended only to gain the landing and takeoff flight operations slots allocated to cap flights at the busy airport and would not include ATA aircraft or employees, AP reported.

It is not clear what impact the LaGuardia deal would have on Southwest flights serving Tampa International Airport, where Southwest is the airport's busiest carrier. New York is Tampa's biggest market among all airlines.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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