Earlier today Delta Air Lines management announced plans to decrease systemwide capacity, for both Delta and Northwest, during 2009. The global economic recession and weaker demand for air travel were cited as reasons.Plans call for domestic capacity to be reduced 8-10%, along with a 3-5 % reduction in international capacity. Delta's systemwide capacity in 2009 will be down by 6-8%, year over year.
So said a memo to Delta's more than 75,000 employees from CEO Richard Anderson and President Edward H. Bastian. The memo also said:
We are taking these actions to secure your careers and return us to sustained profitability. In the meantime, we are analyzing the impact on staffing as it pertains to these capacity reductions and, as in the past, we will offer voluntary programs to adjust staffing needs. We will continue to make decisions that are in the long-term interest of our colleagues, customers, shareholders and the communities we serve.No word (yet) on what might happen if those 'voluntary programs' do not result in the required number of staff reductions. Stay tuned.
