Delta Airlines is temporarily suspending service to Oakland International and 10 other U.S. airports starting May 13 in a move the company said will help minimize the risk of exposure to coronavirus for their frontline employees.
Service will be suspended until at least September, and affected passengers will be moved to San Francisco International, the company said in a news release. Workers affected by the closure will also be offered “pay protection options” through September.
“The safety of our employees and customers remains our primary focus as we navigate these challenges together,” Sandy Gordon, senior vice president for domestic airport operations, said in the news release. “By consolidating operations while customer traffic is low, we can allow more of our people to stay home in accordance with local health guidelines.”
Recently, Delta has only been flying a daily flight from Oakland to Salt Lake City, a company spokesperson said. The company said it has waived flight change fees for flights booked through September.
Service is stopping at two other California airports — flights from Long Beach and Hollywood Burbank airports will be consolidated into Los Angeles International.
The announcement comes as the airline industry is pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic, which has stopped almost all non-essential travel and led some countries to ban international flights. Delta has reduced domestic capacity by 80 percent and international capacity by 90 percent, the company said in its news release. It’s also seeking federal approval to consolidate service in nine other U.S. cities.
———
©2020 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
