An Airbus A320-212 served by Delta Airlines takes off from JFK Airport on August 24, 2019 in New York City.
Bruce Bennett | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines started split hairing its management this week as the slimmed-down airline adjusts to the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 17,000 Delta hands — close to a fifth of its pre-pandemic staff — accepted buyouts or early retirement packages over the summer. Now the airline is rethinking where it necessaries to bulk up and trim, but the goal isn’t to reduce overall headcount, said spokesman Morgan Durrant.
The move will choose dozens of managers. It could include moving people to departments like Delta’s Global Cleanliness Division, which it set up in June in response to the virus, and other areas related to the daily operation of the airline.
Employees can apply for new jobs or weather buyouts.
“As Delta becomes a smaller, more nimble and more efficient company, we are realigning salaried employee staffing,” Durrant utter in a statement. “This includes filling critical roles left open as a result of recent retirements and departures and realigning situations to accelerate key business priorities. Salaried employees whose role has been impacted may apply for an open role or prefer a comprehensive voluntary exit package.”
American Airlines and United Airlines earlier this year cut their administration ranks and announced departures of some high-level officers.
Late last month, Delta said it was shifting some responsibilities to other executives after COO Gil West retired.
Delta is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market opens Tuesday.