WABE: What Delta's capacity reductions could mean for passengers and employees (2009-06-12)

Atlanta

What Delta's capacity reductions could mean for passengers and employees

Charles Edwards (2009-06-12)

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ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is reducing capacity even further. Delta officials told employees Thursday it will reduce overall capacity by 10 percent starting in September.

Anne Bannis, executive editor of the website Smartertravel.com, says airlines reduce capacity in one of two ways.

BANNIS: "It's either a reduction in the size of the plane or just fewer flights available."

Delta will suspend non stop daily service from Atlanta to Shanghai, China and Seoul, South Korea. Bannis says other carriers are making the same decisions.

BANNIS: "Airlines cut capacity back pretty heavily in the fall with the idea that things would stabilize but here we are 8,9 months later and we're still needing to reduce capacity further just because people aren't flying."

In addition to capacity, Delta may have to cut jobs as well. For example, US Airways today started accepting voluntary leaves from flight attendants because its capacity reductions did not cut costs enough. © Copyright 2009, WABE