{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-urge-american-airlines-us-airways-to-consider-impact-of-merger-on-maine-airports-and-communities", "Collins, King Urge American Airlines, US Airways to Consider Impact of Merger on Maine Airports and Communities", "2013-11-13", "2013", "2013-11", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, King Urge American Airlines, US Airways to Consider Impact of Merger on Maine Airports and Communities\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 13, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Ranking Member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Angus King today urged the heads of American Airlines and US Airways to consider the potential impact that any reduction in service caused by the airlines\u2019 proposed merger might have on small- and medium-sized airports in Maine and on the economies of local communities.\r\n\u201cMaintaining direct access between small- and medium-sized communities and our nation\u2019s capital is important for facilitating commerce and tourism for residents, businesses, and visitors,\u201d Senators Collins and King wrote. \u201cAs you conduct your review, we urge you to make the process transparent and to evaluate the consequences of slot divestiture on the economies of small- and medium-sized communities, like the Cities of Bangor and Portland, and the surrounding regions of Maine.\u201d\r\nEarlier today, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached an agreement with the airlines that would allow the proposed merger to proceed as long as the airlines divested certain takeoff and landing slots.\r\nSenators Collins and King have repeatedly urged federal and private officials to closely and carefully review the impact that a merger would have on Maine airports, particularly Portland International Jetport and Bangor International Airport.\r\nThe complete text of the Senators\u2019 letter is below:\r\nMr. Thomas W. Horton\r\nChairman, Chief Executive Officer and President\r\nAMR Corporation P.O. Box 619616 Dallas Fort Worth Airport, TX 75261-9616\u00a0\r\nMr. W. Douglas Parker\r\nChairman and Chief Executive Officer\r\nUS Airways Group, Inc.\r\n111 West Rio Salado Parkway\r\nTempe, AZ 85281\u00a0\r\nDear Mr. Horton and Mr. Parker,\r\nWe are writing to express our concern about the potential reduction in service to small- and medium-sized airports as a consequence of the proposed merger of American Airlines and US Airways.\u00a0 As you work with the U.S. Department of Justice to determine which slots will be divested, we urge you to consider carefully the impact on regional airports throughout the country, including those in Maine.\u00a0\r\nOfficials from the City Council of Bangor, Maine, the Bangor International Airport, and the Portland International Jetport have informed us that a reduction of slots at Reagan National Airport could result in reduced flights to Bangor, Portland, and other small- to medium-sized communities throughout the country.\u00a0 These airports are a particularly important transportation link for Maine and other states that rely on tourism to help fuel their economy.\r\nMaintaining direct access between small- and medium-sized communities and our nation's capital is important for facilitating commerce and tourism for residents, businesses, and visitors.\u00a0 As you conduct your review, we urge you to make the process transparent and to evaluate the consequences of slot divestiture on the economies of small- and medium-sized communities, like the Cities of Bangor and Portland, and the surrounding regions in Maine.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/collins-king-urge-american-airlines-us-airways-to-consider-impact-of-merger-on-maine-airports-and-communities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.825375085696578, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}