If Tucson wants to get Southwest Airlines flights, the city needs to use its newly acquired carrier, Morris Air, officials of the Utah airline told business leaders.
Morris Chairman Rick Frendt said Monday that Southwest needs to be sold on Tucson's viability to keep it as a service point.Southwest said last week it would buy Morris Air, a Salt Lake-based carrier that, like Southwest, has banked on a no-frills style in building business.
Southwest said only it planned to continue service into Salt Lake City.
As far as Southwest expansion was concerned, Frendt said the acquisition "moved Tucson up 2 to 5 years on Southwest's list. Everything Morris can do for Tucson, Southwest can do better due to its incredible feeder system."
Morris officials encouraged businesses to impress the airline.
Frendt said that Tucson flights are running about 60 percent full but must go up another 10 percent.
Morris flies out of Tucson 12 times daily, the second busiest origination point behind Salt Lake City.
Kevern Joyce, vice president of Tucson Electric Power Co., said his company will respond to Morris' challenge, saying the utility's 1,100 employees will be encouraged to fly Morris whenever convenient.
"It's in our interest to make sure they stay here," Joyce said. "Economically it can have the same type of impact as Hughes' (Missile Systems) decision to consolidate here."
Robert Gonzales, president of the Greater Tucson Economic Council, said his group has often approached other airlines about operating here but was always told the carrier couldn't make money in Tucson.