COLUMBIA (WACH) -- The announcement that American Airlines and US Airways will merge could be beneficial for Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
One possible benefit of the nearly $11 billion deal is passengers could be able to take advantage of frequent flyer miles to more non-stop destinations out of Columbia.
Also, the airport will be in a better position to negotiate new route options for passengers.
American Airlines currently has three non-stop flights a day to Dallas from Columbia. US Airways has 12 to 13 flights a day servicing Philladelphia, Charlotte, and Washington D.C.
It will likely be months before any real direct impacts are felt from the merger.
Officials with Columbia Metro say airfares are not likely to increase.
The airline will operate under the American Airlines name.
More information about the announcement can be found here.
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