Posted at 12:30 p.m., Monday, July 9, 2001

Delta revises service to O'ahu

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Delta Air Lines Inc., looking for ways to reduce costs, said it will discontinue service between Atlanta and Honolulu on Aug. 31, and replace it with the first nonstop flights between Salt Lake City and Honolulu on Sept. 1.

Atlanta-based Delta has operated a daily flight from its headquarter city to Honolulu since 1985, but with a recent shift in planes, that route became more expensive, said Delta spokeswoman Peggy Estes.

Airlines are facing the worst slump in almost a decade because of slower demand from business travelers and higher fuel and labor costs. Estes said Delta's shift from Atlanta to Salt Lake City would eliminate the need for a stop in Los Angeles for the crew to rest and thus cut costs.

The move "reduces operating cost and eliminates the crew rest issue," she said.

Salt Lake City is a hub for Delta, the nation's third-largest airline. Delta and its commuter unit SkyWest have connecting flights to 63 cities in the mountain states and the Midwest from Salt Lake City.

"This first-ever nonstop service to Honolulu dramatically improves access to Hawai'i," said Mark Drusch, Delta's senior vice president for network management. "They (the 63 cities) now are just one stop away from Honolulu."

A flight from Salt Lake City to Hawai'i will cost $955.80 for a 21-day advance ticket. The daily flights will use the 287-passenger Boeing 767-400 aircraft, the company said.

Delta recently settled a 12-week pilot strike at its Comair commuter unit.

Delta said in June that it expects to lose $140 million to $160 million in the second quarter because of a decline in business traffic and the Comair strike.

The company cut fares by 25 percent last month on many routes and an additional 20 percent for customers that purchase tickets at its Web site.