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United States News Title: Delta to cut 840 jobs, vacate airport's Concourse A Delta to cut 840 jobs, vacate airport's Concourse A Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Dan Monk and Lucy May Courier senior staff reporters * Two ATL cos. among Fortune’s top admired * U.S. airlines' work forces shrink for 18th straight month * Arrivals, departures at Hartsfield-Jackson improve in January * Atlanta’s in the sweet spot for corporate locations * Delta resumes San Antonio-to-Cincinnati flights Delta Air Lines Inc. will eliminate 840 jobs when it phases out operations in Concourse A at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The changes are to take place by May 1, when Atlanta-based Delta (NYSE: DAL) had previously announced a reduction in daily flights from 180 to between 160 and 170. Delta currently operates out of 50 airport gates, including 22 in Concourse A. After the consolidation, it will operate out of 28 gates, all in Concourse B, and will employ 2,200 Delta workers and 1,800 workers at its Comair unit, an airline spokeswoman said Click here for Delta's memo to employees. “I’m very disappointed because we had been somewhat optimistic that they had reached a level that was stable,” said Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President Steve Stevens. “We’ve tried to put our best foot forward and meet with them to talk with them about some of the assets of the region. But at the end of the day, they understand their operations better than any of us.” Stevens said the chamber now will work to try to help those affected find jobs and to help the airport attract more air service. But he also has been told Delta will hire back a number of those people for ground crew positions. He noted that, as far as he knows, Delta’s amount of service isn’t changing, at least not yet. “They have made the statement that there will still be 160 to 170 flights through the summer,” he said. “What’s after that — I don’t know. And I’m not going to speculate because I don’t have a clue.” Delta also declined to offer an estimate on daily flights after August, saying its fall schedule has not yet been announced. Spokeswoman Kristin Baur said Delta will save about $20 million a year with the consolidation into Concourse B. She said the airline will work with airport officials to bring new carriers to Concourse A. It will offer severance, COBRA coverage and employment-transition benefits to displaced employees. Doug Moormann, vice president for economic development at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, also expressed disappointment with Delta's announcement. "It just continues that unfortunate drumbeat that we see at the airport, with the loss of service and then the loss of jobs that accompanies that." Delta's Baur said the consolidation will help the airline achieve one of its 2010 operation goals of boarding more planes through jetways, eliminating the need to walk outside and climb steps to board. “It will improve our customer experience,” she said. Delta’s consolidation could force additional jobs to be lost among concessionaires at Concourse A, said Airport CEO John Mok. Concourse A retail outlets employ 120 people, although some of those stores and jobs could be transferred to Concourse B. Concourse A has eight food and beverage stores and five retail outlets. “We are currently assessing what effects Delta’s consolidation will have on Concourse A concessionaires,” Mok said. H. Lawson Walker, chairman of the Kenton County Airport Board, said he expects the airport board to respond to cuts by recruiting new airlines. “We’ve got a great airport and we’re going to build it back up,” he said. The airport says Delta is “financially obligated” for leases in Concourse A through 2015. Neither the airport nor Delta could immediately provide details on lease terms. Delta has been steadily cutting service at the Cincinnati airport in recent years. In late 2009, Delta said it would reduce daily flights from 215 to 180-190. Delta had more than 600 daily departure as recently as 2005 and was considered to be the second-largest hub in Delta's system. "Cincinnati is considered to be an important hub for Delta," Baur said via e-mail. Okay, this is indicative of a fairly weak "recovery". If people aren't flying, that is a problem.
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#2. To: Nebuchadnezzar (#0)
On topic, you don't fly 'temp workers' anywhere, and thats the only thing keeping the official UE number below 13% nationally. The worst thing in the world for the Cincinnati region was Delta bring a God Damn Hub to the airport. The insane price structure...let me demonstrate: Last fall I took a ten day trip to Annaheim. 1st class one way was over 1,000 if you got on the plane at the Delta gate in Cincinnati. Catch the same flight, plane and crew, in DAYTON 60 miles north of Cincy? Round trip 1st class was a 1,000 or so. I caught the flight in Dayton, added 20 minutes to my drive time. Cheaper long term parking, btw. bout 50% less. I couldn't help but laugh a bit, sitting their drinking a Crown on the rocks, watching people that either paid through the nose, or used up a lot of points, just to catch the flight in Cincy.
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