Delta Air Lines to shut down its affiliate Comair

Delta Air Lines will no longer be operating flights by one of its affiliates Comair. The airline recently announced it has decided to replace smaller, regional aircraft, and will be shutting down its affiliate Comair, which operates flights services under the Delta Connection banner.

The airline in a statement said that it has taken a decision to remove the remaining 16 Comair 50-seaters from the Delta Connection flight network. Comair will be left with only 28 aircrafts to operate its scheduled service.

Cincinnati-based Comair’s President Ryan Gumm said that Comair has aging aircrafts in its fleet and operating them has become quite challenging and is not at all economically viable. He, however, said that with a reduction of Comair’s active fleet the operating costs are going to be higher and equates to a business model which is not sustainable any longer in the present competitive regional environment.

Delta Air Lines had earlier announced that it will be reducing a significant number of 50-seat regional aircrafts from about 350 to 125 or even more in its flight network because of the drastic changes in the competitive and economic environment in the U.S. aviation industry.