Bids on bankrupt ATA's slots

Throughout its history, Southwest Airlines has long made it a point to avoid head-to-head competition with major carriers at the nation’s largest airports, concentrating instead on secondary facilities, like Chicago’s Midway instead of O’Hare. But Southwest has grown so large that its old strategy seems to be of less use these days – hence its recent expansion at major airports like San Francisco and Denver, and its plans to start flying out of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Still, Southwest has always stayed out of the three New York City-area airports – until now. Southwest said it has submitted a bid with the federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis for assets of its defunct former partner, ATA Airlines. Specifically, Southwest has bid $7.5 million to obtain ATA’s rights to 14 takeoff and landing slots at New York LaGuardia – enough to operate seven flights a day. “It is our intent, with the successful conclusion of the transaction, to make plans to initiate service from LaGuardia,” said Southwest president Gary Kelly – although he did not say where the airline wants to fly from LGA. Currently, Southwest’s nearest operations to the New York City area are at Islip, Long Island and Albany, N.Y.