With fuel prices skyrocketing and carriers slashing flights and raising fees, it might be next to insane to try to persuade an airline to expand in Pittsburgh or anywhere else at this time.

But that's exactly what Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will be doing today, when he travels to Dallas to meet with Southwest Airlines and its chief executive officer, Gary Kelly.

Accompanied by Allegheny County Airport Authority Executive Director Bradley D. Penrod and board Chairman Glenn Mahone, Mr. Onorato said he would make a pitch to Southwest to become a "major player" in Pittsburgh, where it now is the second-largest carrier with nearly 17 percent of all traffic.

"We want to let them know that we want them here. We want them here in a big way," Mr. Onorato said.

The trip comes only a few days after US Airways announced that it would be cutting 1,700 employees, reducing flights and adding new fees to compensate for soaring fuel prices. It's uncertain how the cutbacks might affect Pittsburgh International Airport, where the airline has slashed hundreds of flights at its one-time hub and is now only a shell of its former self.

Other airlines have been cutting as well to try to offset fuel increases. Southwest has fared better than most, in part because of an agreement made several years ago to buy fuel at set prices, but still has been forced to raise fares and scale back expansion plans.

The airline has cut its growth rate from 8 percent last year to about 2 percent in 2008, and Mr. Kelly has said it may not expand at all next year.

That means Mr. Onorato may face a very tough sell in persuading the airline to add service despite its healthy growth in Pittsburgh, where it went from 10 flights a day to 22 in the first two years after starting service in May 2005. That's where it stands today.

"Really, the environment is going to be the indicator of how quickly we're able to grow in Pittsburgh or anywhere," Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said. "We continue to look at opportunities to expand Southwest service, but we do have to be very strategic about that because of the environment and the uncertainty in the airline industry."

Mr. Onorato appeared to be undaunted by the challenge, however.

"There's no doubt that the entire industry is in chaos. It's very confused on where it's going and what's going to happen. One thing's for sure: Whatever the shakeout ... someone is going to be serving the flying public," he said.

He is betting one of those will be Southwest, the low-cost pioneer that has remained profitable in a sky of red ink.

And with so few US Airways flights at Pittsburgh International -- 71 a day at the end of April versus more than 500 seven years ago -- the climate for expansion is better than ever before, Mr. Onorato argued.

"The days of US Airways undercutting a low-cost carrier are over," he said.

In fact, he envisions the day Southwest will overtake US Airways as the airport's largest airline. US Airways at one time carried more than 80 percent of all airport travelers. That was down to 34.3 percent in April.

"That's a strong possibility," he said of Southwest rising to the top, "and it would be a welcome relief to see a company like Southwest become a dominant player at our airport."

He eventually would like to see Southwest become as large in Pittsburgh as it is in Nashville, where it operates more than 70 flights a day, or in Baltimore, where it is the dominant carrier with more than 170 flights daily.

One factor working in Pittsburgh's favor, he said, is that its origin and destination traffic -- local travelers who start and end their trips here -- has soared from 6.2 million passengers two years ago to 8.2 million this year. Such growth may be appealing to low-cost carriers.

While prospects for more expansion may be dim right now, Southwest has been pleased with traveler response in Pittsburgh, Ms. Eichinger said.

"From the beginning, Pittsburgh has just welcomed Southwest Airlines with open arms," she said.

"We know it's a place we can continue to be successful in, and we look forward to the growth opportunities we could have there in the future."

The meeting with Mr. Kelly was set well before the latest announcement of US Airways cutbacks. It was supposed to take place in May but had to be rescheduled.

"We're open to talking about the possibilities for Pittsburgh," Ms. Eichinger said. "That will be an ongoing conversation since it is a tough time right now."