Hurrah! Delta is staying put

For now, Delta Air Lines will maintain its hub in Salt Lake City. US Airways dropped its hostile takeover offer, which would have created the world's largest airline, after Delta creditors endorsed the Atlanta-based airline's plan to emerge from bankruptcy by midyear as a standalone carrier.

For Utahns and others in the Intermountain area who rely on Delta Air Lines, this is very good news. If Salt Lake International Airport no longer was a "hub" for a major air carrier, traveling to and from the Wasatch Front most likely would have become more problematic. Without an airline needing to connect travelers through a hub system, there likely would be fewer direct flights here, which would inconvenience local air travelers. An end to the hub also would hobble the state's efforts to attract new businesses, particularly those that require quality air service.

This announcement also is positive news for some 4,000 Delta Air Lines employees, who feared they would be furloughed under the takeover despite US Airways' assurances it would keep Delta's hub in Salt Lake City.

More than anything, it was encouraging to see that Delta survived under free-market conditions. There was little government could or should have done to help the airline's cause. The years since deregulation have shown, in dramatic ways, that minimal government interference makes for cheaper and safer air travel.

A merger may have presented serious downsides for Utah and surrounding states, and yet competition from nimble airlines such as Southwest, Frontier and JetBlue has rendered air travel affordable for the masses.

This announcement does not mean Delta's future is certain. The airline still must sell its standalone plan to creditors and work its way out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which would place it in a stronger position if another merger is contemplated.

No question, in terms of doing business and sheer convenience, Salt Lake air passengers are better served having a hub. But they also should rest assured that, if someday Delta was absorbed by another carrier, this market would attract another airline to claim a piece of the more than 800 scheduled flights handled daily at Salt Lake International Airport.