TEMPE, Ariz., March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC) today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the rights to operate daily, year-round service between the airline's hubs in Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia, and Sao Paulo, Brazil.  US Airways will begin service between Charlotte and Sao Paulo on June 8 using frequencies leased from another carrier. An award of rights for Charlotte – Sao Paulo flights will ensure US Airways avoids a service interruption due to the frequency lease terminating prior to Open Skies between the United States and Brazil commencing in 2015.

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US Airways' proposed service between Philadelphia and Sao Paulo would be the airline's third daily flight to South America and would complement its existing service to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from its Charlotte hub.   

"Brazil continues to be an important market for US Airways and we are committed to expanding our presence throughout the country," said Doug Parker, US Airways' chairman and CEO. "The additional frequencies will allow US Airways to continue offering business and leisure travelers an attractive option for travel between our largest hub in Charlotte and South America's most important business destination without interruption to the service. Additionally, they will give customers throughout the Northeast a complementary, new option for travel to Brazil through our international gateway at Philadelphia."

Customers in more than 80 cities in the United States will have easy one-stop access to Sao Paulo through the airline's Charlotte hub. Each year more than 36 million US Airways customers fly through Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which is the airline's largest hub with more than 640 daily departures to 136 destinations in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico and Latin America.

US Airways' proposed new service from Philadelphia would provide 75 communities easy one-stop access to Sao Paulo. Additionally, the new flight would give customers in 47 communities a second, one-stop option to Brazil's largest city. Each year more than 21 million US Airways customers fly through Philadelphia International Airport, which is the airline's international gateway and second largest hub with 437 daily flights and nonstop service to 113 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central America

To see a copy of US Airways' filing with the DOT, visit www.regulations.gov.

About US Airways
US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,000 flights per day and serves 198 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide, operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,329 airports in 194 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance magazine presented US Airways with the 2012 Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Year Award for demonstrating outstanding achievement and innovation in the area of technical operations. Military Times Edge magazine named US Airways as a Best of Vets employer in 2011 and 2012. US Airways was, for the third year in a row, the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine's 50 Report. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies' attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways. (LCCG)

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SOURCE US Airways