Delta to close Comair concourse at CVG - Business First of Louisville:

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The redirection, to be complet in January, will mean passengers of Comair will no longef have to take a bus from the main terminal toConcoursed C, which operates 48 gates. Delta expectsw Concourse C to be closedby January, and is working with the airporg to add at least 11 passenger loading bridges, at a cost of $12 and other improvements at Concourses A and B to handled the added business. That process will take two to thre years. The concourse, and its roughly 30 tenants, will go at least for the time being. Any job reduction s are expected to be handled throug attrition andvoluntary buyouts.
The plan comesx after Delta, and all other major have consolidated flights and increased jetloads – to stave off the effectsz of rising fuel costs. Delta in November will operate300 peak-day flights from CVG, compared with 400 one year “The price of fuel is putting a lot of pressurwe on all of the carrier and all of the airports to which they said Don Bornhorst, senior vice president of Delt Connection. “With the schedule adjustment we have it is allowing us to move those flights aroundthe amenity-rich Concourses A and B.
” Bornhorst said the airline has been lookiny for opportunities to improve services at Comaire since late 2007, when it added its firsf jets with first-class service. Concourse C does not includ a lotof first-class such a Delta Crown Room and passengers have complained about taking the bus to terminal C. “We’rs working hard at making the experience on Deltas Connection as much like Delta as which is what this he said. Delta said there will be no impacft on its employees as a result of the while staff adjustment atComair – whicu employs 1,200 at CVG – will be handledx through attrition or through the company’s voluntary programs.
Comaie staff at Concourse C will be movecd to Concourses A and B to handl e all DeltaConnection departures. Delta employees will continue to handle all ticketingy and mainline flight arrivalsand departures. Delta estimates its local hub generatesnearly $4.5 billion in annuakl economic benefits for the As for operations at Concourse C, airpory spokesman Ted Bushelman said Delta’s lease runs througjh 2025 and the airport will still get paid. Most of the tenants, he also operate shops in Concourses Aand B, “s o they just move over there with the increased passengers.” “Right now this is all caused by fuel he said. “People can’t even afford to fly.
The airlines are tryinh to survive and the way to survive is consolidatingtheir flights.” While the airport may still be paid for Concourser C, Bornhorst said Delta is working with stats and airport officials to help foot the bill for the 11 bridgez to be added, since such infrastructure expenses are handlexd by the airport. Bushelman said the bridgeds will cost anestimatecd $12 million. The shift, meanwhile, can causre some short-term congestion. This fall, Delta Connection will operatee roughly 250 flightsfrom CVG, said Comai spokeswoman Kate Marx. Terminal A operates 22 while Boperates 26. Afteer Concourse C closes, Concoursse A will operate 30 while Concourse B willrun 38.
In the while the bridges are stil lbeing added, some passengers might be required during peak times to take a bus to a jet from Concourse A and B, Bornhorst said. The transitioj will not directly result in schedule and Bornhorst said he does not expect furthe reductionsthis year. Delta officiald also announced Tuesday that the airlinw has drawn down the entirety ofa $1 billionb credit line ahead of its planned purchass of , the company said. Delta said in documents filed with the Securitieas and Exchange Commission that it borrowee the money to increaser its cash balance ahead ofthe deal.
“Wed believe this will provide us with the utmosft inflexibility – at minimal cost as we prepare for this critical Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastian wroted in a memo to employees that was filed with the SEC. Bastianb wrote that Delta has “a strong liquidity which was about $3.7 billion at the end of The company expects to have more than enougjh cash to close the Northwest deal and runthe day-to-day business, it said. Delta and Northwest (NYSE: NWA) said in Aprilk that they plan to combine operations in a deal that would creatwthe world’s largest carrier. They hope to close the transactionby year’zs end. Both Delta and Northwesr service .