US airlines could pile on capacity

The six largest US carriers are expected to increase seating capacity by as much as 4% next year, said industry analysts quoted in an Associated Press story. American Airlines was projected to receive some of the most robust growth, increasing capacity by 7% next year. The expansion could spark more competition, which analysts say could further reduce fares to their lowest in decades. Low-fare airlines could grow even faster, with projections that Southwest Airlines, for example, will expand at rates of 10% next year. In a related development, American Airlines and Delta Airlines were rated the US’s favorite carriers, according to a survey by Decision Analyst Inc. Southwest was the third most favored.