Delta Air Lines cuts five routes, adds one

In a continuing trend in aviation, airlines continue to downsize in order to right-size their respective staffs against their flight schedules.

The latest announcement comes from Delta Air Lines.

The Atlanta-based carrier confirmed to Business Insider that it was dropping five routes and adding another one. Four of the five routes being eliminated started in Detroit and the other started in Minneapolis, both hubs for Delta that were gained several years ago when Delta acquired Northwest Airlines.

“We continue to monitor and adjust our flight schedules as needed on an ongoing basis; staying in line with current customer demand trends,” Delta told Insider.

All routes were on regional carriers to smaller airports, continued a trend in which small cities are bearing the brunt of as airlines consolidate and eliminate their schedules due to the pilot and staffing shortages.

As first reported by the aviation blog The Points Guy, flights being eliminated include the following destinations: Allentown, Penn.; Decatur and Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Dayton, Ohio; and Fort Wayne, Indiana, all out of Detroit.

The flight ending from Minneapolis means an end to service to Moline, Illinois.

Delta said there as low demand for these routes.

In Octomber, Delta plans to add a flight to Boston from Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, a suburb of New York City.