Comair, the regional carrier subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, will be shrinking during the next two years as it retires its smaller 50-seat aircraft that have become unprofitable to operate. Subsequently, the staff required to operate the smaller fleet will also be reduced significantly. Comair is based at the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati International Airport, once the second largest hub for Delta. From a peak of 280 daily flights operated by the Atlanta-based carrier as recently as 2005, today CVG handles just 160-175 daily flight depending on the day of the week.
The current fleet at Comair numbers close to 100 aircraft. When it retires 53 of its 69 smaller jets, the carrier will have 16 remaining CRJs, 15 70-seat aircraft and 13 90-passenger aircraft. According to a Delta statement, the workforce will be reduced accordingly, which once again isn’t good news for Comair employees or the Cincinnati area.
As the airline industry ebbs and flows with the world economy, certain aircraft can quickly become obsolete. Such is the case with smaller regional jets such as the Canadair 100 and 200 series which seat just 50 passengers. At current fuel price levels, it isn’t possible to be profitable operating these aircraft, even when they are full. Because of this, many CRJ aircraft have been spending a lot of time sitting on the tarmac rather than being flown at a loss.
While travelers utilizing CVG won’t see a difference in service levels, there will certainly be far fewer Comair employees than the current 2,600 on the payroll. Half of these workers are locally based, and others live in the Cincinnati metro area but commute to their home base. Comair says that when the airline shrinks to its new smaller size, it will operate a fleet of just 44 aircraft. The biggest job cut areas are expected to effect pilots, flight attendants and mechanics. It is also anticipated there will be fewer staff needed administratively.
Delta has been trying to sell Comair unsuccessfully for more than a year, after purchasing the carrier for more than $1 billion in 2000. It recently sold Twin Cities-based subsidiaries Mesaba and Compass Airlines, though they continue to operate at their previous staff and flight levels, at least for the time being. There is bound to be more industry wide consolidation as airlines around the world recover from the depths of the economic recession.
Comair President John Bendoraitis said in a written statement, “Our current cost structure does not enable us to be competitive in the current industry environment,” adding, “For some time, Delta leaders have been open about their desire to reduce the Delta network’s use of the Delta Connection 50-seat fleet, made up of older, less efficient aircraft.” The Comair aircraft being removed from the fleet will be retired, returned to their owners if under a lease agreement, or sold for parts to other airlines.
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