davescj From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 2244 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (3 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 6603 times:
If MEM Airport had any sense, the would demolish either A or C terminals and save the costs involved. DL is down to 90 flights a day, and unless there is some expansion, MEM has way too much capacity.
Josh32121 From United States of America, joined Apr 2008, 325 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (3 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 6488 times:
Quoting davescj (Reply 2): If MEM Airport had any sense, the would demolish either A or C terminals and save the costs involved. DL is down to 90 flights a day, and unless there is some expansion, MEM has way too much capacity.
Dave
Demolishing is expensive, too. But I am surprised they haven't taken a page from PIT's book (and maybe STL's?) and just closed off some areas and put them into hibernation to save operating costs.
knope2001 From United States of America, joined May 2005, 2555 posts, RR: 31 Reply 5, posted (3 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 6261 times:
Quoting Josh32121 (Reply 3): Demolishing is expensive, too. But I am surprised they haven't taken a page from PIT's book (and maybe STL's?) and just closed off some areas and put them into hibernation to save operating costs.
Lots of airports are in a similar situation, including some which were never big hubs.
--The sharp move away from smaller planes means fewer filghts.
--Fewer airlines means fewer hubs...and fewer flights.
--Fewer airlines means the same number of flights can probably be served with fewer gates.
There's plenty of empty real estate at lots of airports, and I think we'll see more and more examples of airports consolidating and mothballing facilities.
PI4EVER From United States of America, joined May 2009, 599 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (3 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 6207 times:
I came through MEM during the Christmas holidays and noticed the extensive ramp work underway between B & C. Is this to update this area for DL to use just one wing of B and the other carriers needing work done in or near C? It was just a bit surprising to see such extensive work underway with so many empty gates so I assumed this was prep to eventually move DL to a more straight line area of B.
Quiet and serene in MEM on Christmas Day and although the weather played a part in delays the travel experience there was pleasant. Backyard Burger and a cold beer did not hurt either! The biggest pain I have with MEM is the rental car shuttle/drive off property to get and turn in vehicles, but an otherwise nice airport experience every time.
airguardtn From United States of America, joined May 2007, 44 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (3 months 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 5938 times:
MEM has a new rental car facility that is coming on line now at the terminal. So that will fix the rental situation. Once the tarmac between B and C is redone, they will start on the area between A and B. So there are many gates that have been affected currently and more that will be affected in the furture.
MIflyer12 From United States of America, joined Feb 2013, 141 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (3 months 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 5891 times:
Quoting knope2001 (Reply 5): What was Delta's highest number of departures from MEM and when?
NW started a fourth bank flights in 6/2000, peaking to 244 flights (and another ~16 by DL to ATL and CVG in that era). The fourth bank didn't last long.
January 1987 (not long after the NW/RC merger) Memphis clocked in a 289 daily departures....211 mainline and 78 code share regional. Memphis ran at roughly 205-225 combined departures for the next dozen years close to a 55/45 mainline/regional split. Northwest ramped Memphis up again in 2000 and 2001, peaking at 265 departures (132 mainline 133 code share regional) in June of 2001. The last data set in this table is September 2002, when Memphis was 241/day, with a 114 mainline / 127 regional split. Things have of course ramped down significantly from that point.
Since both MEM and CVG are down to pretty comparable levels these days, it's interesting to note how far CVG has dropped to get to this point.
Mainline peaked in December 1996 with 219, plus 241 RJ's . The lasdt data set in this table is June 2004, when CVG had 595 flights, 162 mainline and 433 regional. So while both MEM and CVG have plummeted a great deal to be where they are, the Memphis contraction isn't as bad proportionally.
PSU.DTW.SCE From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 6875 posts, RR: 29 Reply 16, posted (3 months 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 5523 times:
I posted this in another thread discussing the NW hub days from onward from the mid-90s
MEM was historically a 3 bank hub that relied heavily on DC-9, 727, and turborprop aircraft. As 727s were phased out the A320 took its place. MEM got ARJs then got a heavy influx of CRJ aircraft to replace DC-9s & turboprops and/or add additional frequency.
MEM got a 4th bank that added an additional round of evening departures in about 2000, but it was then cut post-9/11. The 4th bank returned again for another brief period in about 2003-2004.
MEM never saw a significant amount of widebody (or even 757s) for that matter. MEM never saw more than 2-3 widebodies per day, and maybe about 5-10 757s at is peak. Yes AMS was operated by KLM MD-11, NW DC-10, NW/DL A330, and NW/DL 767. DTW & MSP saw DC-10 and 757 equipment on some flights throughout the day. Outside of those SEA & MCO saw 757 service:
JAAlbert From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 1196 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (3 months 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 4624 times:
Quoting knope2001 (Reply 5): There's plenty of empty real estate at lots of airports, and I think we'll see more and more examples of airports consolidating and mothballing facilities.
The reduction of service at MEM seems to be present at other airports as well:
I saw a recent google earth photo of Detroit's airport. The old north terminal, which is a huge building, had almost no planes parked at its gates. Almost all the activity appeared to be located at the new terminal. Is DTW planning on closing the north terminal?
I also recall that here in San Diego, prior to the economic collapse it was not uncommon to see a lengthy line of aircraft waiting its turn for take off at the end of the runway. Nowadays, aircraft waiting in cue at SAN is rather uncommon. What's happened? Is it fewer flights? SAN certainly isn't seeing larger planes for the most part.
Polot From United States of America, joined Jul 2011, 1502 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (3 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 4322 times:
Quoting JAAlbert (Reply 17): I saw a recent google earth photo of Detroit's airport. The old north terminal, which is a huge building, had almost no planes parked at its gates. Almost all the activity appeared to be located at the new terminal. Is DTW planning on closing the north terminal?
Huh? The North Terminal is the new terminal. The terminal that it replaced, the Smith terminal ,is not used for passengers (just for administrative offices).
PSU.DTW.SCE From United States of America, joined Jan 2002, 6875 posts, RR: 29 Reply 19, posted (3 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 4236 times:
Quoting JAAlbert (Reply 17): I saw a recent google earth photo of Detroit's airport. The old north terminal, which is a huge building, had almost no planes parked at its gates. Almost all the activity appeared to be located at the new terminal. Is DTW planning on closing the north terminal?
Not sure what you are thinking about.
McNamera Terminal - built in 2002 is where DL operates their hub and where Skyteam carriers operate.
The new North Terminal - opened in 2009, replaced the physical location of the Davey Terminal with a new linear design.
When the North Terminal opened, all other airlines moved over from the Smith Terminal.
The old Berry international terminal was shuttered and vacant. The Smith Terminal is vacant, except for administration offices in the terminal.
This is an entirely different situation than MEM or PIT. New terminals replaced old terminals which were planned to be shuttered but are not yet torn down.
Quoting Josh32121 (Reply 3): Demolishing is expensive, too. But I am surprised they haven't taken a page from PIT's book (and maybe STL's?) and just closed off some areas and put them into hibernation to save operating costs.
Yep, unless the space is needed for other means, or if the space could still be functional the business case may not be there demolish a terminal.
DTW they will never use the Smith terminal again, but its cost money to demolish and remediate the site. There isn't enough steel to recover the cost of demolition as there is generally a lot of concrete used in the terminal construction.
michman From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 327 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (3 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 4010 times:
Quoting PSU.DTW.SCE (Reply 19): The old Berry international terminal was shuttered and vacant. The Smith Terminal is vacant, except for administration offices in the terminal.
Anyone know the status of the plan to refurb the Berry terminal and move the administrative offices there from the Smith terminal? Seems like it was announced a couple years ago at least.
jetjeanes From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 1415 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (3 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 2562 times:
In the past they have shutterd concourses over the years and probably will this time as well there are metal gates that can be brought down closing each one.. Now the center councourse i have seen it boarded up at the y junction..even with the few extra flights Wn is bringing in all these gates will not be needed. But Wn stated if the biz warranted it they would add more flights which could provide some connections vs Lit.. The center concource is the oldest and the 2 on each side were built in the mid and late 70,s
crj200faguy From United States of America, joined May 2007, 385 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (3 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1673 times:
thank goodness there is going to be more space for southwests massive operation everyone thinks is coming. gonna need all the gates they can get for those 300 flights a day with 4 times per hour service to Orlando with $49 fares.
Google earth shows the McNamera terminal and a terminal it tags as the North terminal. The north terminal (on google east at least) has virtually no planes parked at its gates, while the McNamera terminal is humming.
25 rangercarp: The picture probably caught it at a slow time of day. The terminal has 26 gates and serves 10 airlines. Early morning and early evening it is very bu
26 davescj: You're right......But I think the Sunday was in front of a holiday weekend. That could have been the reason for the reduced Sunday schedule. Dave
27 ouboy79: Just looked at Google Earth, well at least through maps.google.com, and still don't' see it. Not sure how familiar you are with DTW, but if you go to
28 IAHWorldflyer: Concourse A is where DL originally was back in the '70's and '80's at MEM. I think they were they initial tenant in that concourse after it was built
29 Cubsrule: Correct. Also, the DTW hub is still fairly banked, so it'll look very busy during a bank. At the North Terminal on google maps, I see a US Express CR
30 michman: Most certainly that's the case. I counted the gate utilization at the North Terminal yesterday and got 23 out of 26 gates in use. Here's the gate cou
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