Delta subsidiary Comair to cut 520 jobs

— -- Regional carrier Comair expects to cut about 520 flight crew jobs this fall as it reduces its flying schedule.

The Kentucky-based airline says 300 pilot and 220 flight attendant jobs will be cut as its parent company, Delta Air Lines, cuts by 13% the number of seats available on U.S. flights.

Comair employs 4,000 workers locally and 6,300 nationwide. The carrier's payroll includes 1,477 pilots and 940 flight attendants. Comair has also cut non-crew jobs by 6% since the beginning of the year.

Delta has twice this year decided to fly less in the U.S. as jet fuel prices soar, forcing it to slash unprofitable flight service.

"This year has been a rollercoaster in terms of our flying," wrote Comair president John Selvaggio in a memo to employees. "We have continued to support Delta's efforts to address sky-high fuel costs by becoming more efficient and reducing our overall cost structure."

As part of Delta's plan to reduce U.S. flying in 2008, Comair said at the beginning of the year it would remove up to 14 aircraft from its fleet.

A busy summer slowed plans to remove the planes, but the fleet reduction is still underway.

The regional airline's fleet was set to shrink from 131 jets at the beginning of the year to 121 by June. Instead Comair kept seven extra aircraft through the summer.

In the past year, Delta has cut seating capacity out of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport by 12%. Daily departures on peak days have dropped to about 370 in July, compared with 414 a year ago. Comair has its biggest presence at Cincinnati, which is a hub for Delta.

Additional cuts are expected as the slower fall season kicks in.

Most of Delta's reduced flying results in fewer daily flights to destinations, while some cities lose direct service altogether.

On Tuesday, Delta announced it would cut direct service from Cincinnati to Toledo starting Sept. 2. Other recent casualties include direct service to Lansing, Mich., and State College, Pa.

Delta also has recently cut the frequencies – or number of daily flights – from CVG to other destinations: Birmingham, Ala., will see flights cut to four from six; Denver, three from four; Columbia, S.C., three from four; and Memphis, four from five.

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