Delta to Slash 7,000 Jobs as Part of New Reshuffling Plan

As part of a $5 billion overhaul that kicked off earlier this week in an effort to cut costs, wages and benefits to workers, Delta Airlines announced its intention to lay off between 6,000 and 7,000 employees within the next eighteen months.

The U.S. company’s President and CEO, Gerald Grinstein, explained the air carrier is steadily implementing a cost-cutting plan that will hack off approximately $2.3 billion by the end of 2004.

Mr. Grinstein strongly believes that an undersized and highly efficient airline requires a smaller payroll and huge salary caps, as well as fewer benefits for workers. However, he stressed his commitment to open up new windows of opportunity for his employees in what he calls “Delta’s brighter future.”

The company’s shakeup also includes the decentralization of Delta’s operations at Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport to channel those savings into the expansion of other hubs, like terminals in Atlanta, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City. Likewise, the carrier plans to launch 31 new direct flights to 19 additional destinations.