Delta Air Lines plans to halt service at 10 secondary United States airports as it consolidates services.
Atlanta-based Delta said as of May 13, it will suspend operations at Chicago Midway, Oakland, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, T.F. Green in Rhode Island, New York Stewart, Westchester County in White Plains, Akron-Canton, Manchester-Boston and Newport News/Williamsburg airports.
The services will be suspended until at least September 2020, according to Delta, which said it is looking at other opportunities to take similar measures in additional markets.
The airline said it will re-accommodate customers whose flights are affected by the suspension of service.
It continues to serve airports near each of those locations.
Along with halting service at the 10 secondary airports, Delta said it plans to suspend service to Saskatoon in Canada as of May 13.
The moves will affect workers’ jobs at those airports, including about 100 Delta employees. Delta said its employees who are affected will get “pay protection options” through Sept. 30 or have the option to work at another airport.
“By consolidating operations while customer traffic is low, we can allow more of our people to stay home in accordance with local health guidelines,” Delta senior vice president Sandy Gordon said in a written statement.
Travel has declined more than 90% amid the coronavirus pandemic, and Delta said its customer volume "is significantly reduced." The airline has cut its total flight schedule by 85%.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is requiring Delta and other airlines that accepted billions in federal stimulus funding through the CARES Act to maintain a minimum level of service to U.S. airports on their route maps through Sept. 30.
The DOT determined that when multiple airports serve the same point, airlines do not need to maintain service to all those airports but could consolidate operations at a single airport serving that destination.
Delta has also submitted a request to the DOT to consolidate operations in another nine cities. The DOT is still reviewing that request.
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