Delta / Northwest Shed Gates in Combination - Article

[JonnyKnoxville]

[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Air Transport World[/FONT]:

Delta Air Lines said yesterday that it and subsidiary Northwest Airlines will stop using about 170 gates at airports throughout the US as the merged carriers consolidate operations. CEO Richard Anderson told employees in a recorded message that DL and NWA facilities at US airports all will bear the Delta name by year end. Branding will become uniform at airports internationally by the middle of next year, he said. He claimed the consolidation of airport facilities "translates into multimillions of dollars of rental savings."

 

[ACL65PILOT]

This is quite true. We pay anywhere from 2 dollars per passenger boarding to over 10 dollars a passenger boarding for just gates. It is a huge cost.

 

[WSurf]

Does this mean a bigger reduction in flying between the two airlines in the future?

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

New subsidiary will oversee Delta Connection opsFebruary 10, 2009


Delta has formed a new wholly owned subsidiary - Regional Handling Services - to ensure a higher level of consistency at Delta Connection-staffed airports throughout the U.S. RHS will assume responsibility for all airport ticket counter, gate and baggage handling services in about 100 small- and medium-sized airports, plus hub operations in Cincinnati, Detroit and Minneapolis, currently managed by Delta’s wholly owned subsidiaries Comair and Mesaba.
RHS will work with Delta and the Delta Connection carriers to develop product and performance standards for all elements of the airport experience; streamline handling procedures and training; and establish a consistent station performance management and quality assurance program.
The subsidiary will be comprised of about 4,100 airport customer service employees from Comair, Mesaba and Compass. RHS will be based alongside Delta Connection in Minneapolis. Don Stephens, former Comair v.p. for System Planning and Customer Service, will lead the new organization. RHS also will oversee airport customer service functions for 170 airport locations handled by Delta Connection ground handling partners nationwide.
“As there is minimal overlap of the Comair and Mesaba ground handling networks, we anticipate no involuntary frontline reductions for employees of Comair and Mesaba as a result of the creation of RHS, with any staffing adjustments expected to be managed through attrition and voluntary programs,” said Don Bornhorst, v.p.-Delta Connection, in a memo to employees. “It is important to note that the creation of RHS will not impact the flying operations of Comair, Mesaba or Compass. Each airline will continue to be based at its respective headquarters with a core focus on delivering safe, reliable and on-time flights for Delta customers. Additionally, the creation of this subsidiary will have no impact to Delta or Northwest mainline jobs.”

 

[lowlycfi]

Some of the C gates in MSP already have Delta signs on the outside of the jetbridges. I did a doubletake the other night when we pulled into one. The assimilation into the collective has begun.

 

[FBN0223]

The assimilation into the collective has begun....

.....along with the pay raises, better work rules and equity in the new Delta. (cha-ching)

 

[Tanker Clown]

I'm sure pay and jobs are the next things to be "shed" at Delta.

 

[lakemead1]

I'm sure pay and jobs are the next things to be "shed" at Delta.

As always, Tanker Clown shows up for some really positive Delta feedback.

 

[Flyprdu]

As always, Tanker Clown shows up for some really positive feedback.

Yeah, but this one is right.
This loss of gates has to precede a corresponding loss of flights and lift. Buckle up everyone.

 

[FBN0223]

Yeah, but this one is right.
This loss of gates has to precede a corresponding loss of flights and lift. Buckle up everyone.

No it does not. If you fly around the NWA and Delta systems, you'll see several stations where NWA and Delta have gates providing service to only two or three flights per day. I would hope that Delta would do just what they are doing by combining operations and removing under-utilized gates from the operation.

There might indeed be a loss of flights/lift but it has little do to with combining operations at various airports throughout the US and world.

 

[airline#5]

Run...shedders!!!

 

[General Lee]

Yeah, but this one is right.
This loss of gates has to precede a corresponding loss of flights and lift. Buckle up everyone.

Say what? Do you think all gates are used all of the time? Maybe in ATL, but not at every other hub, and not at each outstation. Airlines lease gates from the airports at huge costs each year, and getting rid of some and using the ones that are available is golden. You have to remember that high fuel costs are coming down too, and that will help cover for a loss in pax loads, and parking more 50 seaters will help also.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Whataburger]

170 opportunites!!!!

 

[Tanker Clown]

Hey Genital, how's those international routes doing these days? You really used to hang your hat on those things. Looks to me like they sh!t the bed on you.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

After discussing this with a few people, for now DAL thinks that the planned capacity cuts are enough.
Furthermore they do not PLAN to furlough.

 

[Tanker Clown]

I bet they never PLANNED to go through bankruptcy or PLANNED for Song to be such a hit. I'm not sure anyone has any good plans in this economy. I just think it's funny how the Gerbil Lee bragged about the international routes that have now basically become a dud.

 

[Rough67]

This message is hidden because Tanker Clown is on your ignore list

 

[Superpilot92]

After discussing this with a few people, for now DAL thinks that the planned capacity cuts are enough.
Furthermore they do not PLAN to furlough.

thats about the only good news i have heard today, thanks

 

[Superpilot92]

This message is hidden because Tanker Clown is on your ignore list

yeah me too! Its a wonderful function of this forum.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

But it is so much fun to read a dolt's view of life!