Delta Airlines will slash another 7,000 to 8,000 jobs in a move that will reduce its payroll by 25 per cent since last year's terrorist attacks.
The company has now cut 21,000 employees since September 11th, 2001.
Delta says no work group except pilots - the airline's only large unionised labour bloc - will be spared in this round of cuts. Last year, pilots were told to expect as many as 1,400 layoffs.
"Until demand returns and business conditions otherwise improve, Delta's survival and our potential for future success requires that we maintain tight control of all facets of the business," chairman and CEO Mr Leo Mullin said in a memo to employees.
"And we must continue making the difficult but necessary decisions that will allow us to emerge successfully following these changing times."
The cuts come two days after the Atlanta-based carrier posted a third-quarter loss of €350 million and said it does not see any improvement anytime soon. Since January 1st, Delta has lost €1billion, nearly double what it lost in the first nine months of 2001.
Delta, the US's third-largest airline, said it cannot raise ticket fares and still remain competitive, and it already cut other areas of the company before trimming employees.
Mr Mullin told employees he hoped many of the job reductions could come through voluntary-leave, early retirement and redundancy programmes. If there are not enough volunteers for these, the company will lay off workers.
The job losses include the 1,500 flight attendant positions announced earlier this month.
AP