I'm an Orlando native who has watched Central Florida grow since the days Gatorland was considered a main attraction. ( ) I view Central Florida's theme parks both as the world's playground and as complex businesses critical to the local and Florida economies. ( ) Tourism is Central Florida's undisputed economic dynamo.
( )
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A few moments ago Delta Air Lines executives ended their first media conference call related to quarterly earnings since the company fell into bankruptcy in September 2005.
From a passenger perspective and a investor perspective, there are a few things worth noting from the call that touted a narrower loss as a near break-even for Delta in the first quarter excluding bankruptcy charges:
Delta says it will begin offering service to London's Heathrow Airport as soon as possible, likely March 30, 2008 -- the first day allowed by the new open skies agreement between the U.S. and European Union. Delta currently flies only to London-Gatwick from its key domestic cities, but views Heathrow as the preferable business airport because it's more centrally located.
The new Delta ticker will be opening very soon on the New York Stock Exchange, according to the company. Executives at Delta don't believe Congress will pass a federal Passenger Bill of Rights this year as outcry over delays and cancellations swelled to an all-time high in the first quarter, which was hit by particularly bad weather in the north east. It's no surprise that Delta is focusing on international route growth from its main Atlanta hub. Company leaders said today that will continue with focuses on Western Africa, Asia and the Middle East. They touted Atlanta as a powerful hub that offers one-stop flying to remote international destinations from even some of the smallest domestic markets.
The company is still keeping quiet on its long-term plans for subsidiary Comair, a regional flier that operates in Orlando. Looks like the ownership structure could certainly change once Delta fully emerges from bankruptcy, but executives say Comair is still a key part of its plan.
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