2theadvocate.com | Opinion | Letter: Merger to benefit BR, Holden says — Baton Rouge, LA

OPINION

Letter: Merger to benefit BR, Holden says

  • Published: May 21, 2008 - Page: 6B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.
On April 14, Delta and Northwest Airlines announced an agreement to merge the two companies and create the world’s biggest airline. If approved, the merger will have valuable benefits for passengers and communities worldwide, including right here in Baton Rouge.

Delta will be Baton Rouge Metro Airport’s largest carrier and will expand flight destinations across America. This merger will provide our residents with much-needed flights from our airport to the north-central United States and expand our international flight options. It also brings together two airlines with distinctly different routes, thereby opening up a wide array of destinations under one airline.

Delta is a major state employer, revenue generator and member of the Baton Rouge community. After the merger, Delta will provide Louisiana with single-carrier access to more than 390 worldwide destinations, including business markets in Asia and the Pacific.

Increased domestic flight destinations and expanded international flight access are just some of the benefits of a Delta/Northwest merger. We believe this is a move that is good for our airport, local travelers and everyone in our region.

Melvin L. “Kip” Holden
mayor-president
Baton Rouge

Comments (3)

Submit a comment

Terms of Use

  • Former Republican:

    Thanks, Mr. Mayor. While I personally fear for the choice that will disappear under a Delta/Northwest merger, I think Baton Rouge should help airlines find a home at BTR. Unfortunately, many flight attendants and junior pilots have had to take big pay cuts to support bonuses in the executive suite - and these employees usually fly tertiary routes like Baton Rouge. I hope the city will work with Delta/NW to ensure proper treatment of employees based in Baton Rouge.

    What's this?
    Posted on May 21, 2008 at 12:52 AM

  • JOhn:

    What I would like to see is the daily commuter train to Denim Springs like Kip said he would do when he ran the first time. In addition, it would be nice to see a daily commuter from Baton Rouge to New Orleans that way we can go to the NOLA airport and vice verse. We also do not need a loop, with gas as high as it is who would be able to drive around Baton Rouge?

    What's this?
    Posted on May 21, 2008 at 9:10 AM

  • Former Republican:

    John's got the right idea. There should be a "baby bullet" 80+ mph train carrying 1000+ people several times daily between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Instead, we have traffic jams.

    What's this?
    Posted on May 21, 2008 at 12:50 PM

Click "Report Abuse" to notify our moderators that a comment may contain objectionable content.

Your comment appears to contain objectionable content and must be reviewed by a site moderator. If your comment is deemed objectionable, it will not appear on the site.


    Most Popular     Most Emailed     Hot Topics    
ADVERTISEMENTS




PROMOTIONS


 
Envelope icon Have a question, comment, news tip or story idea? Click here to give us some feedback.