Northwest Airlines to Cut Service to Cope with Fuel Price Surge

Source: AFP    Author:    06/18/2008

Subject Concerned: Aircraft   Airlines   Human Resource   Aviation Fuel   

On Jun. 17, Northwest Airlines joined other major US carriers in cutting flights in response to skyrocketing fuel bills.

The airline, which is on track to merge with Delta Air Lines, said it would reduce its system mainline capacity, including domestic and international flights, by 8.5 to 9.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.

This includes the reductions previously announced in April.

Northwest said it "has not yet finalized the specific employee impacts related to the reduced flying" but would "first look to voluntary separation programs."

Northwest chief executive Doug Steenland said, "In response to these extraordinary fuel costs, we are taking prudent actions to reduce our capacity and right-size the airline. This will allow us to better match our capacity to customer demand as airfares, by necessity, must increase."

Steenland added that no domestic station closures are planned but that "we will pare unprofitable flying while maintaining the scope and presence of our network."

As a result of the reduced capacity, Northwest is removing a combination of 14 Boeing 757s and Airbus narrow body aircraft from the fleet.

In addition, the DC-9 fleet will be reduced from 94 aircraft at the start of 2008 to 61 aircraft by year-end.

The move follows similar actions announced by American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Photograph: Northwest Airlines' aircraft parked at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. Photo contributed by CARNOC.com message board member - phil.