Delta Air Lines CEO, Ed Bastian, said in a memo to employees that the carrier will reduce capacity by 40 percent in the coming months, have cancelled all flying to continental Europe for at least the next 30 days and will park up to 300 aircraft.
This afternoon (March 13, 2020), Delta Air Lines CEO, Ed Bastian, said in a memo to company team members worldwide that the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the carrier is growing rapidly. As a result, the airline will reduce capacity by 40% over the next few months, eliminate all flying to continental Europe for at least 30 days and park up to 300 aircraft on reduced demand. In order to preserve cash, the carrier will defer new aircraft deliveries and reduce 2020 capital expenditures by at least $2 billion. Additionally, Delta will immediately be offering voluntary short-term unpaid leave, freeze hiring and substantially reduce the use of consultants and contractors. In Friday’s statement, Mr. Bastian said in part,
We’ll be making more critical decisions on our response in days to come. The situation is fluid and likely to be getting worse. But what hasn’t changed is this: Delta remains better-positioned to weather a storm of this magnitude than ever before in our history. We’ve spent a decade building a strong, resilient airline powered by the best professionals in the business. We will get through this, and taking strong, decisive action now will ensure that we are properly positioned to recover our business when customers start to travel again. In light of these developments, I’m foregoing 100 percent of my salary, effective immediately, for the next six months. We are in discussions with the White House and Congress regarding the support they can provide to help us through this period. I’m optimistic we will receive their support. That said, the form and value is unpredictable, and we can’t put our company’s future at risk waiting on aid from our government.”
Source: Delta Air Lines
Editor's Note: We stand by the entire Delta Air Lines team and all airlines during this difficult period as the entire world fights to limit the transmission of, and ultimately recover from, the global COVID-19 pandemic. Once it has been defeated, we look forward to the emergence of an even stronger and more robust global commercial airline industry.