ATLANTA --
Delta Air Lines will offer voluntary buyouts and early retirement incentives as it plans to cut flying later this year because of high fuel prices.
Delta has been planning to cut its schedule by 4 percent starting in September. In a hotline message to employees on Friday, CEO Richard Anderson said Delta needs to reduce the costs that go with that flying, too.
"In order for our business to thrive we must think of the current high fuel prices as a permanent reality of our business," Anderson said.
He said Delta workers whose age plus 10 years of service equals 55 will be eligible for early retirement. Buyouts will be available for workers who don't meet the requirements for early retirement but have at least five years with Delta. Both are voluntary.
In October Delta said it would add 1,000 flight attendants, including recalling 425 who had been on a voluntary furlough. Delta spokeswoman Keyra Johnson said that hiring is mostly finished and is not affected by the new voluntary offers.
Airlines have been raising fares to cope with sharply higher fuel prices, and many have been scrapping growth plans they had for this year. Delta is adding flying during the first half of the year. Airlines generally reduce flying in the fall because leisure travel drops off. Delta's reduction beginning after Labor Day will be 4 percent below the flying it did at the same time last year. Delta said last month it would park 140 planes over the next year and a half, 20 more than it originally planned. The planes coming out of its fleet will include some of its largest jets used for international flying.
Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc. fell 10 cents to $11.12 in afternoon trading.
