In a memo to employees this week, Delta said it would reduce operations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport from two concourses to one on May 1.
Delta cut Cincinnati operations in early 2009, when it went from three to two concourses at the airport.
In May, the airline will depart Concourse A, and all Delta and Delta Connection flights will be handled at Concourse B. Delta will be using 28 gates at the airport, down from 50.
Delta said it still plans to operate 160 to 170 flights per day from Cincinnati this summer.
Along with the move, Delta will consolidate ground-handling services in Cincinnati. Regional Elite Airline Services, a Delta subsidiary that manages ground services for regional operations, will be eliminated in Cincinnati, leaving just the main carrier’s ground-handling crew.
The move, which could lead to layoffs for up to 840 Regional Elite employees, is a step toward returning Delta’s Cincinnati hub to profitability, said Gil West, Delta’s senior vice president of airport customer service.
Delta said Regional Elite staff will have the opportunity to apply for about 100 positions in airport customer service and at Delta’s Cincinnati reservations center.
Airport CEO John Mok said that barring any shift in concessions to Concourse B, up to 120 concession workers could lose their jobs with Delta leaving Concourse A.
