Delta Air Lines has confirmed that it will make some corporate layoffs in the coming months, although the Atlanta-based carrier did not signal how many employees are likely to lose their jobs as a result of the cutbacks.
In a statement, the airline said it was now time to “make adjustments to programs, budgets and organizational structures across Delta to meet our stated goals”.
The news comes just weeks after the airline reported a $1.1 billion profit for the third quarter up to the end of September, which was up from the $695 million profit the company reported in the same period in 2022.
Delta seemingly suggested that the layoffs had been prompted by overhiring as the airline tried to rapidly rebuild capacity as pandemic-era travel restrictions were lifted.
A spokesperson noted that the carrier had “heavily invested in our business to manage the rapid return of demand”.
The statement continued: “While we’re not yet back to full capacity, now is the time to make adjustments to programs, budgets and organizational structures across Delta to meet our stated goals – one part of this effort includes adjustments to corporate staffing in support of these changes,”
The layoffs will not affect front-line jobs such as pilots, flight attendants or gate agents.
“These decisions are never made lightly but always with care and respect for our impacted team members and the Delta family,” the statement continued.
Last month, CEO Ed Bastian praised Delta’s employees for helping to deliver a record September quarter but the airline cautioned that it was being hit by rising fuel costs, along with increasing labor rates and ‘inflationary pressures’.
Despite not having yet rebuilt capacity to pre-pandemic levels, Delta currently has 10% more staff than it did at the end of 2019. Delta suffered with operational reliability issues as it recovered from the pandemic, driven in part by letting go of many experienced staffers in early 2020.
