Delta wants to trim more regional flying

Delta Air Lines intends to reduce its number of regional partners as the merger with Northwest Airlines approaches. "If you add everyone up together now you have nine [regional partners]," Delta Connection Senior VP Don Bornhorst told the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I think the right answer is going to be along the lines of seven or eight. We have too much lift in Delta Connection." He said there no longer is a "seller's market" for regionals. "Clearly we are on the other side of that growth curve now and I would even argue that there are too many regional jets." Delta has canceled contracts with ExpressJet (ATWOnline, July 4) and Mesa Air Group subsidiary Freedom Airlines (ATWOnline, Aug. 6) already this year and attempted unsuccessfully to end another deal with Freedom (ATWOnline, May 30) and its CRJ900 agreement with Pinnacle Airlines (ATWOnline, July 21).

Northwest currently has agreements with Pinnacle and wholly owned subsidiaries Mesaba Airlines and Compass Airlines. "We haven't made any schedule reductions at this time with any of those carriers," a Northwest spokesperson told ATWOnline. "That's something that will be decided once the merger is approved."