Delta Eliminating 840 Jobs at Cincinnati Airport

Delta Air Lines is eliminating 840 jobs at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as it draws down operations in Concourse A, reports the Business Courier of Cincinnati.

The job cuts are to be completed by May 1, at which time Delta is slated to reduce its number of daily flights from 180 to between 160 and 170. According to the report, Delta currently operates out of 50 gates at the airport, but that number will be reduced to 28 following the consolidation.

“I’m very disappointed because we had been somewhat optimistic that they had reached a level that was stable,” Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President Steve Stevens told the publication. “We’ve tried to put our best foot forward and meet with them to talk with them about some of the assets of the region. At the end of the day, they understand their operations better than any of us.”

A spokeswoman for Delta said the airline will save about $20 million a year through the consolidation. She also said the company will offer severance, COBRA coverage and employment-transition benefits to displaced employees.

The move by Delta to leave Concourse A also may lead to concessionaires to lose their jobs, according to the airport’s CEO, John Mok. Currently, Concourse A retail outlets employ 120 people.