Will Albuquerque Sunport ever see widebody service again? (cost, statistics)

[Andros 1337]

Currently, the largest aircraft that the Albuquerque Sunport usually gets is the Boeing 757-200, flown mostly by Delta during the summer between the Albuquerque Sunport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

However, we don't currently get any Boeing 767s or any other widebody aircraft. The last widebody service that the Albuquerque Sunport got was on TWA between Albuquerque and St. Louis, but this was discontinued after American bought out TWA. In fact, American is no longer flying the Albuquerque-St. Louis route.

So, do you think the Albuquerque Sunport will ever see widebody service again? The Albuquerque area is growing fast, and the airport is already quite busy for a city of Albuquerque's size. However, many airlines have been reducing domestic widebody service, with Delta being the only US airline who still has a sizeable domestic widebody fleet (their Boeing 767-300s).

[GregW]

Better to fly a smaller airplane full than a bigger one half empty. Airline traffic is way down compared to three years ago.

[karmathecat]

I fly out of ABQ once a month and I've yet to be on a flight where they really had to bump anyone, although they have asked for volunteers and although the flights I take are heavily booked, they are not usually full to capacity.
Airlines are reducing service, increasing fees for things like baggage and other options and it just would not be cost effective to put a widebody on any route currently flown out of ABQ.

[Mike Horrell]

What route from a mid-sized, geographically isolated city would generate enough
traffic to require wide-body service? That's basically ABQ's position.

[karmathecat]

"What route from a mid-sized, geographically isolated city would generate enough
traffic to require wide-body service?"

There isn't one.

[Mike Horrell]

'zackly...............

I'd guess that at least some of the prior service was due to repositioning needs,
not justifiable traffic. In some cases it probably made little difference if one
more stop was added but now that there are so many long-range, mid-sized
aircraft, it just doesn't make sense since the wide-bodies are increasingly
dedicated to long-distance, high volume routes; what they'd been designed for
to begin with.

[karmathecat]

Even major hubs are troubled. UA started a nonstop DEN-LHR flight last year, supposed to be daily. During peak travel season ( now-Aug 31 ) it's M-F only and Sept 1 and after it's Tuesday only.

[Poncho_NM]

Sunport ridership for the past year is down 12.7%. I did not look up statistics for previous years, but as I recall they have been going down for at least five years. I fly out of Sunport 4 to 8 times per year, 10 years ago, more than that. I miss the ABQ to Ft Laud and ABQ to Dulles direct flights.

[Andros 1337]

Well, Delta's flights between ABQ and ATL are often quite busy, and they can definately fill those 757s on the route between March and August. I flown on those flights quite often and they are rarely empty.

If Delta perhaps replaced two flights (one operated by a 757 and one operated by an MD-88) with one 767-300 I think they could easily fill it. Delta's domestic 767-300s hold up to 262 passengers (24 Domestic First Class and 238 Economy Class), and feature in-seat on-demand audio and video. Rarely do we get any of Delta's aircraft with the on-demand entertainment here at ABQ, although on rare occasions one of those 757s with the overhead monitors may be substituted with a 757 with the on-demand entertainment (my mother was lucky enough to fly on one of these aircraft between ATL and ABQ last June).

[berncohomes]

Have you ever flown DEN-LHR? How is the flight? I never thought of that route, I always go via the east coast.