Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

In its drive to continue offering cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages, Comair, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, has announced it will cut its fleet by over 50 percent and reduce staffing over the next two years to be more competitive.

According to Comair, its current cost structure is approximately 20 percent more than its peers on a cost per hour basis which “does not allow us to be competitive in the current industry environment.”

The airline will accelerate the retirement of its aging, less efficient 50 seat jets while continuing flying its larger 65 and 76 seat jets. The fleet reduction is expected to save Comair approximately $110 million over the next four years.

Comair currently operates 97 planes and expects to become a 44 aircraft operation by the end of 2012. Staff will be reduced to reflect the airline’s new size. Comair will cut back the number of 50 seat jets from 65 at the end of 2010 to 16 by the end of 2012. The remaining jets (28) will seat either 65 or 76 passengers.

Comair employs around 2,500 people, operating over 400 flights daily to 70 cities in the U.S., Canada, and the Bahamas. The airline has announced it will be working with the unions representing its pilots, flight attendants and mechanics in the near future to arrive at “new, more competitive agreements with those groups.”
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