Delta Guarantees 10,000 Aviation Jobs for Minnesota

Delta Air Lines will commit to keeping jobs at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

Delta promised it would keep up employment and flights in Minnesota after acquiring Northwest Airlines last year.

Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan says the airline is ready to put those flight and employment promises into a formal agreement.

“They are guaranteeing at least 400 flights a day from MSP and 10,000 jobs,” Hogan said. “And they’re guaranteeing at least 250 of those flights with be on larger planes with 70 seats or more.”

In return for the job and flights assurances, the airline won’t have to accelerate payment on some $250 million in bonds backed by the airports commission.

Delta will also continue sharing in airport concession revenue.

The airline will keep most of Northwest’s major operations in the state, along with the jobs that go with them, but the combined airline’s headquarters will be in Atlanta. That will result in some job losses at what was Northwest’s Eagan headquarters.

In 2000, Northwest employed more than 20,000 Minnesotans.

Delta plans to reduce flights throughout its network this year, which is expected to result in some job cuts at the combined airline.