Departures and arrivals

As if to prove that there was no sense in whining about the switch from Delta to Comair flights at Bangor International Airport, the purchase Friday by American Airlines of Business Express shows that what deregulation takes away, deregulation can bring. In this new system, these sorts of surprises are part of the deal. The question for the region is whether it can fill in the gaps left by Delta’s departure and use the arrival of an American Airlines affiliate to improve on the level of air service.

Flights between Bangor and Portland will be lost when Delta trades in its larger planes for Comair’s regional jets, and that will cause an inconvenience for some. But there’s nothing keeping the city from seeking a new carrier to make that connection. If not to Portland, a connection to Manchester, N.H., to take advantage of inexpensive Southwest Airlines flights, may be at least as popular.

Comair, with its 50-seat jets and three flights a day to Cincinnati probably will be carrying fewer BIA passengers than Delta, at least at peak travel times. The city of Bangor doesn’t need to sink huge sums in air-travel promotion, but it should re-emphasize that having a large airport is an economic necessity and continue to seek carriers based on its proximity to Canada and, compared with other U.S. airports, Europe, while taking advantage of the state as a tourist destination.

American Airlines, whose purchase of Business Express still must be blessed by the Justice Department, could provide for improved commuter service. Where Delta was shrinking to concentrate on major hubs, AA through American Eagle has been ably serving smaller airports. The recent reorganization of Business Express and its plan to buy at least 20 regional jets makes sale all the more worthwhile.

Finally, there is a prestige issue. Having Delta announce that, in effect, the Bangor region doesn’t rate a large airplane hurts the community ego a bit. The American Airlines purchase does not necessarily return a big plane, but it does show that a major player is interested in serving the region. That’s excellent news in a tumultous time.