Delta slashes service but
adds 2 flights to Hawaii

CINCINNATI » Debt-plagued Delta Air Lines Inc. is slashing a quarter of its flights at its second-largest hub, a move that could cost up to 1,000 jobs. The airline, meanwhile, announced it would add flights to Hawaii in a move to increase profits.

The cutbacks at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport are part of changes the nation's third-largest carrier announced yesterday, along with the sale of 11 planes to an air freight company.

"At this time, the actual number of involuntary job losses is not known because we are working to minimize that number by offering relocation and other opportunities to affected Delta people," Jim Whitehurst, Delta's chief operating officer, said in a memo to employees.

The changes are effective Dec. 1.

In another move designed to increase profitability, Delta said it would add flights to Hawaii and new or expanded service to 41 international destinations.

Delta plans to add its first nonstop service between Atlanta and Maui starting Dec. 16, and one-stop service from Atlanta to Kailua-Kona via Salt Lake City, starting Dec. 1. The two additional flights bring to 11 the number of daily trips between Hawaii and the mainland, Delta said.

The job cuts are in addition to 7,000 cuts the Atlanta-based airline announced in September 2004. Before that, 16,000 other jobs were shed since 2001.

Delta also said it will accelerate the removal of widebody Boeing 767-200 jets to simplify its fleet as it fights to avoid a bankruptcy filing after piling up $10 billion in losses since January 2001.

ABX Air Inc. of Wilmington, Ohio, said it will spend about $190 million to buy 11 of the 767-200 passenger airplanes from Delta and convert them into freighter planes. The agreement calls for delivery of six aircraft in 2006, two in 2007 and three in 2008.

ABX, which was spun off to shareholders as part of DHL Worldwide Network SA's August 2003 acquisition of Airborne, sorts and flies overnight deliveries for DHL. The Delta aircraft are expected to help the company expand its non-DHL deliveries, said Joe Hete, ABX's president and chief executive.

Delta's hub operations accounted for about 92 percent of the nearly 22 million passengers who went through Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport last year, airport spokesman Ted Bushelman said.

Delta and the Delta Connection operate 599 flights a day, out of about 660 by all carriers. Delta will reduce its 128 flights Cincinnati flights to 94, and Delta Connection flights will be cut from 471 to 348, Bushelman said. Most of the cuts are early morning and late night flights.

Travelers will lose nine destinations served by Delta Connection carriers, Bushelman said. The nonstop flights being eliminated are to Moline, Ill.; Mobile and Montgomery, Ala.; Islip, N.Y.; Baton Rouge, La.; and Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Daytona Beach, Fla.