May 14, 2020 / 10:09 AM / Updated 3 hours ago
Delta, others wrestle with too many planes, too many pilots
(Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (
DAL.N) moved to retire its Boeing Co (
BA.N) 777 fleet and reduce its pilot ranks on Thursday as it joins other airlines wrestling with the need to shrink their operations to match reduced air travel due to the coronavirus crisis.
After announcing that it would no longer fly its 18 wide-body 777s,
Delta told its 14,500 pilots that it expects to have 7,000 more than it needs in the fall, according to a memo to flight operations employees first reported by Reuters.
“I recognize that is an alarming number so it’s important to know that our intent is to align staffing for what we need over the long term,” John Laughter [sic], S.V.P. of flight operations, said in the May 14 memo seen by Reuters.