Regarding the editorial "Flight Risk: The Latest US Airways Deal Must Spare Pittsburgh" (Feb. 20): Your recent opinion surpasses my previous threshold of surprise from your newspaper. I think now that you'll never stop beating this dead horse. US Airways and Allegheny County had a classic standoff and Pittsburgh lost, period. By the way, Philadelphia and Charlotte couldn't have been happier, as their respective thriving airports and subsequent business growth will attest. If I were you, I'd be more worried about the recent Heinz purchase by 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway!

Pittsburgh "International" Airport, sadly, could have been Charlotte or Philadelphia, it's just that no one in the local community was willing to make sure it happened. Of course, the public dollars you mention absolutely pale in comparison to the big bucks spent on new arenas for professional sports, and yet you expected a $12 billion-a-year airline to stay under untenable costs from the Allegheny Airport Authority?

One of you sage financial experts had better look more closely at what competitively priced infrastructure needs to be in place to attract and retain big companies to our area! Southwest has been quietly pulling down its flying in Pittsburgh and no one says a word about it. Let's just call sour grapes what they are and move on to the bigger picture, please!

JEFFREY HUTCHINS
Carnegie