I am in Jackson MS - the following is in today local paper..

MsEarp99

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Delta cuts Jackson-Dallas flights

# In effort to avoid bankruptcy, airline also to eliminate 7,000 jobs, cut wages

By Scott Waller
[email protected]

Delta Airlines will end nonstop flights from Jackson to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport by Jan. 31 as part of a restructuring plan unveiled Wednesday.


Flights from Jackson
Airline Destination cities
American Dallas-Fort Worth
Delta Atlanta,Cincinnati, Dallas-Fort Worth
Southwest Baltimore-Washington, Houston (Hobby),
Chicago Midway), Orlando
U.S. Airways Charlotte, N.C.
Northwest Detroit, Memphis
Continental Ex. Houston (Intercontinental)

The airline, through its regional carrier ASA, has four flights daily from Jackson International Airport to the Texas hub.

Delta will cut daily flights at DFW from 254 to 21, shifting flights to Salt Lake City and Cincinnati. The company also will eliminate 7,000 jobs and cut wages in an effort to avoid bankruptcy.

Dirk Vanderleest, executive director of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, said Delta will eliminate the flights to DFW but plans to maintain the 14 daily flights the airline and its regional carriers, ASA and Comair, currently have in Jackson.

"The bottom line is they intend to keep the 14 flights, but they have not indicated where the four flights that go to Dallas (from Jackson) will be re-routed," Vanderleest said.

While the airport will keep the same number of flights, passengers will be limited to one option when flying to DFW: American Airlines.

Dallas-based American Airlines has five flights daily from Jackson to DFW.

Southwest Airlines has flights from Jackson to Houston's Hobby airport, and Continental Airlines flies to Houston's Intercontinental airport.

"For the consumer, it limits the choices to fly west to Dallas and beyond," Vanderleest said.

Todd Clay, a spokesman for Delta, said it is too early to determine where the four flights currently going to DFW will go.

"(The plan) is our view from 50,000 feet," Clay said. "We are not down to the detail level. But we try to give our passengers at least 90 days notice so they can make other arrangements or give us time to rearrange their flights. We want these changes in place by Jan. 31, so we should be getting the details in place soon."

Delta hopes to make the job cuts within the next 18 months. The airline also plans to lower management overhead costs by 15 percent. The company's goal is to save $2.3 billion.

MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce President Duane O'Neill frequently flies the Jackson-to-Dallas route.

O'Neill said he has spoken with Delta officials and hopes the company will consider keeping a Jackson-to-Dallas flight.

"We understand what they're doing. But at the same time that western travel is important to Jackson," O'Neill said. "I'm hopeful that there may be also some Delta possibilities for the west in the future... That western service is very important and we will be pursuing what alternatives that we can to make sure we have something in that direction."

While Delta and other major carriers have struggled financially since the 9-11 terrorists attacks, Vanderleest said the number of people using the Jackson airport is increasing. In August there were 106,540 travelers, up from 105,491 in August 2003.

Delta had the largest share of passengers, with 40,564. Southwest Airlines was second with 31,399 and Northwest Airlines had 12,679.