CVG takes big step to end Delta dominance

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has officially taken its first major step toward ending Delta Air Lines’ decades-long dominance over operations.

The airport and servicing airlines reached an agreement June 22 on the framework for CVG’s first new contract with all carriers in more than 40 years. The agreement has been expected for months and is a step toward finalizing a new contract, which should be completed by the end of the year. The current contract is set to expire on Dec. 31.

The new deal will be much shorter than the 1972 agreement that helped Delta establish a powerful and thriving hub at CVG. The airport and airlines have agreed the new contract will last 5 years and allow CVG to have some control over business decisions.

The deal’s structure will allow for more carriers to have influence over decisions, which could lead to lowering CVG’s notoriously high ticket prices. In particular, the new agreement is expected to make CVG more attractive to low-cost carriers that have feared being bullied out of the market by Delta.

Read the full Cincinnati Enquirer story here.