<p>Businesses in western Pennsylvania could face more travel headaches now that US Airways has decided to cut more than 100 flights at Pittsburgh International Airport, one of its regional hubs.</p><p>Starting next month, nuclear engineers and managers at Westinghouse Electric Co. will have to change planes to get to Columbia, S.C., when US Airways ends its nonstop service. Executives will have to either fly to Charlotte or Atlanta to change planes.</p><p>"That adds at least a couple hours each way with layovers and connections," said Mike Burnside, travel chief for Westinghouse Electric. "So now we are exploring using a corporate shuttle" or private jets.</p><p>The uncertain future of Pittsburgh's dominant airline has some companies and analysts worried about visiting customers and making meetings on time. US Airways, the nation's seventh-largest airline, emerged from bankruptcy protection last March but faces competition from low-fare carriers.</p><p>"If you lose those direct flights, then you become a third-tier city," said Jay Aldridge, a business consultant and former head of a regional development group.</p><p>US Airways Chairman David Bronner earlier this month said the airline could be forced to sell major assets. The airline has said it wants to dramatically lower debt payments of $62 million a year for the construction of the Pittsburgh airport.</p><p>"The state of the local economy dictates the level of service you provide, and the level of business in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area isn't enough to support nonstop service to many destinations," said US Airways spokesman David Castelveter.</p><p>Executives at Sony Technology Center-Pittsburgh, which has a television plant in Westmoreland County, took about 1,000 trips last year, many to visit another division of Sony Corp. in Newark, N.J. However, the unit is moving to San Diego and US Airways offers fewer flights to the California destination.</p><p>"There used to be four or five US Airways flights a day between Pittsburgh and San Diego. Now there's about two," said Sony spokesman Michael Koff. "And that really affects your travel and meeting schedules."</p><p>Economic development officials say the loss of flights could impact business plans, particularly along the West Coast. A recent analysis showed that 90 percent of the local travel toes to just 36 cities.</p><p>"This airport is an economic development driver for us, and we need to maintain a good level of service there," said F. Michael Langley, chief executive of Allegheny Conference on Community Development.</p><p>Flight adjustments have brought some good news for businesses. US Airways recently added a nonstop flight from Pittsburgh to Frankfurt, Germany. Herbert Goller, chief executive officer of Ardex Inc., which makes floor-leveling compounds and adhesives, says he can now board a 5 p.m. flight, sleep on the plane and make a meeting in Frankfurt the next morning.</p><p>___</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>HASH(0x2866708)</p><p>___</p><p>Information from: Tribune-Review</p>
