A Delta Airlines plane. Photo: Daneil Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
Delta will reduce its flight capacity this summer, cutting approximately 100 daily departures, the airline announced on Friday.
Driving the news: The move will mitigate employee absences due to COVID, the impact of extreme weather events, and other factors out of their control, per the announcement.
The big picture: The policy, which will primarily affect U.S. and Latin American markets, will take effect from July 1 until Aug. 7. Delta hasn't specified which cities will be affected.
- The company said they'll notify passengers whose flights will be changed as a result of this decision via email or through their mobile device.
What they're saying: "In recent months, we’ve made a number of adjustments to minimize disruptions and bounce back faster when challenges occur. And that’s why we’ll be taking additional steps in the coming days and weeks to strategically decrease our flight schedule this summer," Delta's press release stated.
- "[This decision] will build additional resilience in our system and improve operational reliability for our customers and employees; we’ll continue to proactively adjust select flights in the coming weeks."
- Delta added its committed to providing "customers with the next-best itinerary that gets them where they need to go with the shortest delay possible," due its reduced flight capacity.
Flashback: In March, Delta recorded its highest cash sales month in company history, trouncing a previous record set in 2019, as travelers, unswayed by inflation and rising ticket prices, flocked to book flights.
- The jump in cash sales comes as Delta and its embattled airline competitors attempt to recover from massive financial losses incurred during the pandemic.