ComAir to Furlough 300 pilots/220 FA's in Fall
07-08-2008, 07:45 AM
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ComAir to Furlough 300 pilots/220 FA's in Fall
Regional carrier Comair expects to cut more than 500 of its crew positions after the summer, as it follows through with previously announced plans to ground 14 of its 50-seater jets.
The Erlanger-based airline estimates it will eliminate 300 pilot and 220 flight attendant positions. Comair employs roughly 6,400 in total, about 1,400 of whom are pilots.
In an e-mail, Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx said the carrier is still operating the 14 earmarked aircraft through the summer but that its flight schedule will decline significantly in September.
"We have steadily reduced non-crew staff since the beginning of the year," Marx said. "Because our pilot and flight attendant staffing is directly related to our flying, we need to adjust our crew complement for the fall."
Comair follows several other airlines that have been reducing their ranks as high fuel prices cause them to cut routes. AirTran on July 7 said it would eliminate 300 attendant and 180 pilot positions, and United Airlines recently announced plans to cut 150 customer service and ramp jobs.
Still, Ted Bushelman, spokesman for the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was surprised by the number of expected reductions at Comair. The carrier and its parent, Delta Air Lines, control about 85 percent of the airport's traffic.
"That's a lot," Bushelman said of the 520 jobs. "They've been saying all along they were going to cut. I just didn't know how many."
Employees were notified July 7 through a memo by President John Selvaggio. In it, he described this year as a "roller coaster."
"We have continued to support Delta's efforts to address sky-high fuel costs by becoming more efficient and reducing our overall cost structure," the memo stated. "We have demonstrated that our strength lies in the people of Comair, and in the coming months, we must remain flexible to keep ourselves poised to take advantages of future opportunities."
Comair in January said it would ground 14 of its 50-seater jets in 2008, after Delta (NYSE
AL) cut its own domestic capacity by 5 percent in favor of overseas business. At the time, Comair would not identify how many of its employees would be affected. The move will prune Comair's fleet to 116 from 130 by the end of the year.
The Erlanger-based airline estimates it will eliminate 300 pilot and 220 flight attendant positions. Comair employs roughly 6,400 in total, about 1,400 of whom are pilots.
In an e-mail, Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx said the carrier is still operating the 14 earmarked aircraft through the summer but that its flight schedule will decline significantly in September.
"We have steadily reduced non-crew staff since the beginning of the year," Marx said. "Because our pilot and flight attendant staffing is directly related to our flying, we need to adjust our crew complement for the fall."
Comair follows several other airlines that have been reducing their ranks as high fuel prices cause them to cut routes. AirTran on July 7 said it would eliminate 300 attendant and 180 pilot positions, and United Airlines recently announced plans to cut 150 customer service and ramp jobs.
Still, Ted Bushelman, spokesman for the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was surprised by the number of expected reductions at Comair. The carrier and its parent, Delta Air Lines, control about 85 percent of the airport's traffic.
"That's a lot," Bushelman said of the 520 jobs. "They've been saying all along they were going to cut. I just didn't know how many."
Employees were notified July 7 through a memo by President John Selvaggio. In it, he described this year as a "roller coaster."
"We have continued to support Delta's efforts to address sky-high fuel costs by becoming more efficient and reducing our overall cost structure," the memo stated. "We have demonstrated that our strength lies in the people of Comair, and in the coming months, we must remain flexible to keep ourselves poised to take advantages of future opportunities."
Comair in January said it would ground 14 of its 50-seater jets in 2008, after Delta (NYSE
AL) cut its own domestic capacity by 5 percent in favor of overseas business. At the time, Comair would not identify how many of its employees would be affected. The move will prune Comair's fleet to 116 from 130 by the end of the year.
07-08-2008, 09:24 AM
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