Focus city facts for kids
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In the world of airlines, a focus city is a special kind of airport. It's an airport that is very important for one specific airline, even if it's not their main base. Think of it like a mini-hub. From a focus city, an airline has many daily flights to different destinations. Even though the word "city" is in the name, it refers to the airport, not the whole city.
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What is an Airline Focus City?
An airline's focus city is an airport where a particular airline has a lot of flights. It's a key location for them, but it's not as big or busy as their main airline hub. From a focus city, an airline can send planes to many different places. This helps them connect more cities for travelers.
How Focus Cities are Different from Hubs
An airline hub is like a giant central station for an airline. Most of their flights go through the hub. Passengers often change planes at a hub to reach their final destination.
A focus city is smaller than a hub. It's important for one airline, but it doesn't handle as many connecting flights. It's more about offering direct flights to several places from that specific airport.
What Happens at a Focus City Airport?
Focus city airports can have some of the same features as larger hubs. For example, an airline might have places to repair or clean their aircraft there. This can be cheaper than doing it at a bigger hub. They might also have special equipment to handle cargo (things shipped by air).
An example of a focus city was US Airways at Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Airlines That Use Focus Cities
Many low-cost carriers often use focus cities more than hubs. These airlines usually fly point-to-point. This means they fly directly from one airport to another, instead of having passengers connect through a main hub.
Here are some examples of airlines that use focus cities:
- In the Americas: Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Allegiant Air, and WestJet.
- In Europe: Ryanair, EasyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Wizz Air.
These airlines find focus cities helpful for growing their networks. They can offer more direct flights to different places without needing to build huge, expensive hub operations.
