Delta Subsidiary Comair will Cut Jobs, Halve Fleet

By Jim Burress

Atlanta, GA – Comair's fleet of 50-seat aircraft will be phased out by 2012, according to a memo released to employees Wednesday. That will leave the carrier with 44 planes, saving the airline more than $100-million a year.

Comair will not say how many job cuts are coming, but spokeswoman Kristin Baur says staffing will be commensurate with the smaller operation. Baur said no cities will be cut from Comair's route map.

Based at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Comair is the only commuter airline still owned by Delta. The airline earlier this year sold Compass and Pinnacle airlines, operations it inherited as part of its merger with Northwest.

Comair has 2600 employees and flies to 70-cities in the eastern half of the US, including Atlanta and Savannah.