Some airlines may use only a single hub, while other airlines use multiple hubs. Hubs are used for both Passenger flights as well as Cargo flights.
Many airlines also utilize Focus Cities , which function much the same as hubs, but with fewer flights. Airlines may also use hubs, a non-technical term for large focus cities.
For most non-US airlines, it is more technically correct to use the term rather than hub as a majority of their flights are international and the so-called hubs are simply their home countries' largest airports, such as Auckland International Airport for Air New Zealand , Narita International Airport for Japan Airlines , or Changi International Airport for Singapore Airlines . Indeed, the application of the term hub in such contexts is only recently popularized by American airline industry analysts and often contested by local commentators.
A fortress hub is a hub dominated by a single airline that controls a share of flights at or above the monopoly standard of 70 percent of flights in and out of the hub.1 A fortress hub is difficult for new entrant carriers to penetrate. 2 New entrants, such as is often cited as an example. Northwest was able to out compete the short-lived discount carrier by matching its fares and offering more frequent flights.
Examples of fortress hubs include:
- Aeroméxico (AM) uses Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX).
- Air Canada (AC) uses Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) as major hubs, and Calgary International Airport (YYC)) as a minor hub.
- Air Transat (TS) uses Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
- AirTran Airways (FL), a Low-fare Airline , uses Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) as its main hub, and Orlando International Airport (MCO) & Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) as secondary hubs.
- Alaska Airlines (AS) uses Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Portland International Airport (PDX).
- American Airlines (AA) uses Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport (STL), Miami International Airport (MIA) and San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU).
- ATA Airlines (TZ), a Low-fare Airline , uses Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Honolulu International Airport (HNL), and Oakland International Airport (OAK) as an "unofficial" focus city.
- Continental Airlines (CO) uses Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). --- Continental Micronesia , a subsidiary, uses Guam's Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM).
- Delta Air Lines (DL) uses Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) (the world's largest hub), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and to a lesser extent Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
- Frontier Airlines (F9), a Low-fare Airline , uses Denver International Airport (DEN).
- JetBlue Airways (B6), a Low-fare Airline uses John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and, to a lesser extent, Logan International Airport (BOS).
- Mexicana (MX) uses Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), Don Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla International Airport (GDL) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
- Midwest Airlines (YX) uses Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) and Kansas City International Airport (MCI).
- Northwest Airlines (NW) uses Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Memphis International Airport (MEM), Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), and Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT).
- Skybus Airlines (SX), an ultra-low fare airline, uses Port Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, OH
- Spirit Airlines (NK), a Low-fare Airline , uses Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
- Southwest Airlines (WN), a Low-cost Airline , mostly runs point-to-point service, but has hub-like operations in Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport (LAS) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
- Sun Country Airlines (SY), a Low-cost Airline , uses Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
- United Airlines (UA) uses Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (as its Pacific Gateway ), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Denver International Airport (DEN), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
- US Airways (US) uses Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport (LAS). Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) also used to serve as a hub, but has since been downgraded to a secondary hub.
- WestJet (WS), a Low-fare Airline uses Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
- Air China (CA) uses Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU).
- Air India (AI) uses Mumbai - Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), Delhi - Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), and to some extent Chennai - International Airport (MAA)
- All Nippon Airways (NH) uses Tokyo - Narita International Airport (NRT), Tokyo - Haneda Airport (HND), Osaka - Kansai International Airport (KIX), and Osaka - Itami Airport (ITM).
- Asiana Airlines (OZ) uses Seoul - Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Seoul - Gimpo Airport (GMP).
- Cathay Pacific (CX) uses Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) (and to a lesser extent Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)).
- China Airlines (CI) uses Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) (and to a lesser extent Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH), and Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)).
- China Eastern Airlines (MU) uses Shanghai - Pudong International Airport (PVG).
- China Southern Airlines (CZ) uses Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).
- EVA Air (BR) uses Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)(and to a lesser extent Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)).
- Far Eastern Air Transport (EF) uses Taipei Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) & Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
- Garuda Indonesia (GA) uses Jakarta - Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Bali - Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), Surabaya - Juanda International Airport , and Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
- Japan Airlines (JL) uses Tokyo - Narita International Airport (NRT), Tokyo - Haneda Airport (HND), Osaka - Kansai International Airport (KIX), and Osaka - Itami Airport (ITM).
- Jet Airways (9W) uses Mumbai - Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), Delhi - Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
- Korean Air (KE) uses Seoul - Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Seoul - Gimpo Airport (GMP).
- Malaysia Airlines (MH) uses Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL).
- Philippine Airlines (PR) uses Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL).
- Royal Brunei Airlines (BI) uses Brunei International Airport (BWN).
- Singapore Airlines (SQ) uses Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
- SriLankan Airlines (UL) uses Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB).
- Thai Airways International (TG) uses Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
and Phuket International Airport (HKT).
- All 30 of the Busiest Airports In The World serve as hubs for one or more major airlines.
- US Airways has the highest percentage of traffic for any single airline at any international airport , occupying 72 (plus 1 shared with Lufthansa) out of 85 total gates and accounting for approximately 90% of traffic at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport Source: City of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, May 2005; USAirways.com, June 2005.
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