Translation: Delta to Continue Losing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

According to CFO Hank Halter, Delta Air Lines is still in "cost-cut mode" and doesn't expect any improvement until mid 2010:

Delta Air Lines doesn't expect to see key revenue measures improve before the middle of next year, which means it will continue cutting costs, an executive told analysts in New York on Wednesday.

Source: Delta still in cost-cut mode

Crack Windshield on Delta Air Lines 757

A Delta Air Lines 757 flying from Bogota to Atlanta (DL 444) on Dec. 2 returned to Bogota after "
the outer pane of the copilot's windshield window cracked".

Sources:

Incident: Delta Airlines B752 near Bogota on Dec 2nd 2009, cracked windshield

Windshield cracks on Atlanta-bound Delta flight

Delta flight from Bogota to Atlanta turns back

Dept. of Transportation Data for September, 2009

On-Time Arrivals	Flight Operations Cancelled	Mishandled Baggage (Reports / 1000 Passengers)	Consumer Complaints (per 100,000 Enplanements)	Involuntary Denied Boardings Per 10,000 Passengers July-Sept
HAWAIIAN (94.1%)	JETBLUE (0.1%)	AIRTRAN (1.36)	SOUTHWEST (0.20)	JETBLUE (0.00)
ALASKA(90.0%)	CONTINENTAL (0.1%)	FRONTIER (1.74)	PINNACLE (0.22)	HAWAIIAN (0.00)
SOUTHWEST (89.1%)	HAWAIIAN (0.1%)	HAWAIIAN (1.90)	HAWAIIAN (0.29)	AIRTRAN (0.08)
FRONTIER AIRLINES (89.1%)	FRONTIER (0.2%)	CONTINENTAL (2.01)	ALASKA (0.32)	NORTHWEST (0.44)
JETBLUE (88.7%)	NORTHWEST (0.3%)	US AIRWAYS (2.14)	EXPRESSJET (0.38)	AMERICAN (0.49)
CONTINENTAL (88.4%)	AIRTRAN (0.4%)	NORTHWEST (2.18)	SKYWEST (0.56)	SKYWEST (0.75)
US AIRWAYS (87.9%)	SOUTHWEST (0.4%)	JETBLUE (2.26)	ASA (0.68)	UNITED (0.79)
UNITED (87.9%)	ALASKA (0.4%)	EXPRESSJET (2.50)	FRONTIER (0.76)	DELTA (0.89)
SKYWEST (87.5%)	EXPRESSJET (0.4%)	SOUTHWEST (2.76)	MESA (0.80)	PINNACLE (0.92)
EXPRESSJET (87.3%)	COMAIR (0.4%)	UNITED (3.00)	JETBLUE (0.80)	US AIRWAYS (1.09)
MESA (87.0%)	US AIRWAYS (0.5%)	AMERICAN (3.04)	COMAIR (0.83)	SOUTHWEST (1.13)
PINNACLE (86.6%)	AMERICAN (0.6%)	ALASKA (3.24)	AMERICAN (0.87)	EXPRESSJET (1.24)
AMERICAN (86.0%)	DELTA (0.6%)	MESA (3.36)	US AIRWAYS (0.88)	CONTINENTAL (1.36)
AMERICAN EAGLE (84.8%)	SKYWEST (0.7%)	SKYWEST (3.90)	AMERICAN EAGLE (0.89)	MESA (1.37)
NORTHWEST (84.5%)	PINNACLE (0.8%)	DELTA (4.10)	AIRTRAN (0.95)	ASA (1.65)
AIRTRAN (83.4c	UNITED (0.9%)	PINNACLE (4.76)	CONTINENTAL (0.97)	ALASKA (2.09)
DELTA (82.2%)	MESA (0.9%)	COMAIR (4.85)	NORTHWEST (1.25)	FRONTIER (2.27)
COMAIR (80.5%)	ASA (1.0%)	AMERICAN EAGLE (5.49)	UNITED (1.29)	COMAIR (2.46)
ASA (72.2%)	AMERICAN EAGLE (1.2%)	ASA (6.12)	DELTA (1.88)	AMERICAN EAGLE (3.41)

Red cells are (1) Delta, (2) wholly owned subsidiaries Northwest & Comair, and (3) regionals Pinnacle & ASA which fly exclusive for Delta (despite being independent & now able to contract with anyone, Pinnacle once again finds itself working only for NW/DL -- the more things change, the more they stay the same. )

Yellow cells are regionals Skywest & Mesa, which do not fly exclusively for Delta.

All data is for Sept. only except for IDB's for which D.O.T. only provide a 3-month count.

The red cells are still trending to the bottom.

Source: Air Travel Consumer Report, November, 2009

Stroke Victim Abandoned by Delta Air Lines at Denver

A 76-year-old woman from Kiev suffered a stroke en route from Kiev to Denver and was left abandoned in a wheelchair in the baggage claim area at the Denver airport:

Medical records say, "At some point during her travels she did suffer a stroke and did suffer a fall while in a plane and attempting to get up to use the lavatory. Flight attendants were not able to communicate with her."

Fitzgerald said she and others from her family were at the airport waiting in the main terminal for her mother to arrive. When Kramarenko did not emerge, the family started searching the airport. Fitzgerald told Kovaleski the family searched for more than an hour before finding her mother at baggage claim. "I was shocked. I didn't expect to see this," said Fitzgerald. "She was only half in the wheelchair because her left arm was hanging down to the ground. I did not know what was going on. Her look on her face, suffering face, and then her left leg was like half on the ground. When I come closer to her, her face was droopy." Hospital records show Kramarenko had suffered a "right frontotemporal lobe stroke."

Kramarenko spent much of the next 18 days in a hospital, at times able to speak, using her daughter as a translator. Fitzgerald said her mother told her she felt as though she was dying on the last leg of her trip from Salt Lake City to Denver... "Kramarenko died on Oct. 26, less than three weeks after landing in Denver.

Source: Family: Stroke Victim Abandoned By Airline At DIA

Mesaba Fined for Role in Tarmac Stranding

The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Mesaba, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, $75,000 for its role in the stranding of CO 2816 (operated by Express Jet) on the tarmac at the Rochester, MN, airport on August 8, 2009. This is the largest of the fines imposed on the three airlines involved in this incident.

... DOT assessed a civil penalty of $75,000 against Mesaba Airlines, which provided ground handling for the flight, for its role in the incident.... Prior to diverting to Rochester, ExpressJet contacted Mesaba personnel at Rochester to request assistance at the airport, which Mesaba, the only airline staffing the airport at the time, agreed to provide. Shortly after the flight arrived in Rochester, the ExpressJet captain asked the Mesaba employee handling the flight whether the passengers could deplane into the airport terminal. In response to this initial inquiry, and other subsequent inquiries, the captain was told that passengers could not enter the terminal because there were no Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners on duty at that hour, despite the fact that TSA rules would have allowed the passengers to enter the airport as long as they remained in a sterile area.... The consent order covering Mesaba finds that the carrier engaged in an unfair and deceptive practice when it provided inaccurate information to ExpressJet about deplaning passengers from flight 2816.

Sources:

U.S. Department of Transportation Press Release

Airlines Fined for Stranding Passengers

Airlines fined for overnight stranding in Minnesota

Couple Films Luggage Being Thrown Under Plane

A couple transiting through Detroit filmed Northwest Airlines ground crews throwing luggage on the ground:

They watched for about two to three minutes, grabbed their video camera, and started shooting. Tom said, "It was unbelievable the way they were just hurling it under the plane to the other side." Watch closely as luggage being loaded on a Northwest Airlines plane is tossed on the ground. One bag even bounces.

...

Tom and Sharon Zimmerman paid a one-way fee of $30 to check their bags with Northwest. Now, they're a bit soured after seeing the way bags were handled in Detroit.

Source: Luggage mishandling caught on tape: Couple paid $30 one-way fee to check baggage

Air Marshal Sues Delta Air Lines for Injuries Inflicted by Flight Attendant

A U.S. air marshal is suing Delta Air Lines for injuries he claims were inflicted when a flight attendant deliberately slammed a beverage cart into his knee:

A federal air marshal who says he was seriously injured when a flight attendant deliberately smashed a beverage cart into him is suing Delta Air Lines and the crew member, a "Jane Doe" co-defendant in the suit, who allegedly preceded the attack with less forceful rammings and warnings that he and a fellow air marshal should "stay out of my way."

Reportedly the flight attendant was fired, and the air marshal is now flying a desk after knee surgery.

Source: Air Marshal Claims Assault by Flight Attendant

Delta Air Lines 737-800 Aborts Takeoff Due to Burst Tires

A Delta Air Lines 737-800 (DL 494) about to fly from Santo Domingo to New York aborted its takeoff due to two burst tires:

... was lined up on runway 17 and ready to depart, when two tyres burst. The takeoff preparations were aborted, the passengers disembarked onto the runway, the airplane was later towed to the apron.

Source: Incident: Delta Airlines B738 at Santo Domingo on Nov 20th 2009, rejected takeoff

Delt Air Lines 767-300 Diverts to Amsterdam for Engine Repairs

A Delta Air Lines 767-300 (DL 31) flying from Moscow to New York (JFK) diverted to Amsterdam on November 19 for engine repairs.

Source: Incident: Delta Airlines B763 near Amsterdam on Nov 19th 2009, engine problems

Another Delta Air Lines 767-300 Reported Smoke in Cabin in October

A Delta Air Lines 767-300 (DL 101) flying from Atlanta to Buenos Aires on October 13 landed back in Atlanta 20 minutes after reporting smoke in the cabin.

Passengers on board reported, that following a normal departure - dinner service was just about to commence - the cabin went dark, the inflight entertainment system stopped working and just the emergency lights at the floor illuminated about 30 minutes into the flight. A flight attendant was observed reporting "smoke in the cabin" via phone obviously to the flight deck. Other flight attendants later claimed when asked, however, that the passenger had misheard and there was no mention of smoke... Later the captain told the passengers in private talks, that he viewed the events similiar to Swissair flight 111.... Delta Airlines and the FAA did not respond to the passengers' inquiries over the next month, when they tried to clarify what had really happened.

The NTSB told The Aviation Herald, that an unusual odour was detected on board which prompted the crew to return to Atlanta. Maintenance identified a problem in the air conditioning system, serviced the system and returned the airplane to service.... The Aviation Herald did not receive any replies from Delta Airlines and the FAA within 24 hours after sending inquiries.

Source: Incident: Delta Airlines B763 near Atlanta on Oct 13th 2009, odour prompts return

There is more information & discussion in the Aviation Herald report.

Northwest Airlines 757-300 Overheat Indication

A Northwest Airlines 757-300 (NW 2623) flying from Los Angeles to Honolulu on November 17 returned to Los Angeles after approximately 50 minutes because "an (unspecified) overheat indication had illuminated".

Source: Incident: Northwest B753 near Los Angeles on Nov 17th 2009, overheat indication

Delta Air Lines 767-300: Smoke in Cockpit

A Delta Air Lines 767-300 (DL 209) flying from Prague to New York (JFK) on November 13 diverted to Goose Bay, Newfoundland, due to smoke in the cockpit. The plane landed only 13 minutes after the start of the incident:

Maintenance identified a forward cooling fan as source of the smoke. The airplane was able to continue the flight after about 3:45 hours on the ground and reached New York with a delay of 4 hours.

Source: Incident: Delta Airlines B763 near Goose Bay on Nov 13th 2009, smoke in cockpit

Delta Air Lines 767 Altimeter Malfunction

A Delta Air Lines 767-300 (DL 148) flying from New York (JFK) to Rome (FCO) on November 15 returned to New York due to a malfunctioning altimeter that would have required it to fly at too low an altitude (below 28,000') for efficient operation if the flight had continued. The plane landed overweight at JFK.

There are some additional comments regarding "carnival lighting" malfunctions in the passenger cabin in Av Herald writeup.

Source: Incident: Delta Airlines B763 near Halifax on Nov 15th 2009, unreliable altimeter

Luggage Cart 1, CRJ-700 0

A Delta Air Lines CRJ-700 scheduled to fly to Sioux Falls, SD, on November 14 was grounded in Atlanta after a luggage cart hit its wing.

Source: Cart on ground keeps flight to Sioux Falls out of air

Northwest Airline A330-300 Loses Cabin Pressure

A Northwest Airlines A330 flying from Atlanta to Honolulu (NW 803) on November 14 lost cabin pressure at 36,000 ft. and did an emergency descent to 10,000 feet, eventually flying at 10,000 ft. almost 600 miles north to Minneapolis and landing overweight. 305 passengers were on board.

Source: Incident: Northwest A333 near Oklahoma on Nov 14th 2009, loss of cabin pressure

Delta Air Lines Pilot Jailed & Suspended for Assault With DC-3

Delta Air Lines pilot Can Wayne Gryder was jailed on charges that he tried to run over two Griffin, GA, police officers with his DC-3 on November 11. He has since been suspended by Delta Air Lines.

Sources:

Suspended Delta Pilot Out of Jail

Delta suspends pilot in runway case

Georgia Pilot Threatens County Official's Car With His DC-3

Delta suspends pilot held in Georgia plane incident

Delta suspends GA pilot charged with plane assault

Delta Suspends Pilot Charged In Plane Assault

Delta suspends pilot jailed after threats

Delta suspends jailed pilot

Pilots Who Landed on Taxiway Likely Will Avoid Punishment

Two Delta Air Lines 767 pilots who landed on an Atlanta taxiway instead of a runway on October 19 probably will avoid punishment:

Despite the error, both pilots are expected to keep their licenses and their jobs, these people said. The pilots are currently suspended, but Delta intends to retrain them and return them to flight status.... According to investigators and others familiar with the taxiway landing, the Boeing 767 was approaching Atlanta before dawn, after a 10-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro in calm winds and 10-mile visibility. A senior pilot became ill during an earlier part of the trip was moved to the cabin and the crew declared a medical emergency. On approach, controllers gave the pilots several different landing instructions, according to people familiar with the details. As the plane continued to descend toward the airport, the pilots requested a runway change so they would be able to taxi as quickly as possible to the terminal. Delta Flight 60 was cleared to land on a runway typically used for takeoffs, and a navigation aid wasn't operating. The approach lights intended to help pilots identify and line up with the strip weren't turned on. The jet landed on a 75-foot wide taxiway, located about 400 feet north of the intended runway. The runway is 150 feet wide and has different colored lights than the taxiway.

Source: Delta Pilots Who Landed on Taxiway Set to Avoid Punishment

[I wouldn't spin this as "avoiding punishment". For a crew as senior & experienced as a 767 captain & FO to be taken off duty & sent back for "retraining" has to be pretty embarassing, both to the airline & the crew.]

Dispute Continues Between Same Sex Couple & SkyWest

A same-sex couple legally married in California & SkyWest, an airline that provides regional service under contract to Delta, are continuing their dispute over benefits:

“California law is crystal clear that you cannot discriminate against employees based on their marital status. And so, because Gilbert is married to his spouse, David, and because they’re also registered as domestic partners, Gilbert is entitled to the same benefits for his spouse as other heterosexual employees receive for their spouses,” she told KCPW.... SkyWest has denied Caldwell the same free flight benefit offered to the spouses of his straight coworkers. Instead, his spouse is given a discounted fare. Borelli sent a letter on behalf of her clients to SkyWest and Delta on October 31st, warning of a discrimination lawsuit if the policy is not changed. She believes the case highlights the need for education in the treatment of married same-sex couples.... In a statement emailed to KCPW, SkyWest responded that it can’t offer spousal benefits to same-sex couples, even those who are legally married. The airline claims federal tax laws prohibit it. Borelli disputes this claim, calling SkyWest’s argument “shocking” and “outrageous.”

Source: SkyWest Airlines Accused of Denying Benefit to Legally Married Same-Sex Couple

Mouse Cancels Flights Twice, Sends 767 to Maintenance

A Delta Air Lines flight (DL 1) that was to take 147 passenger from New York (JFK) to London Heathrow was canceled on Sunday, November 8:

They continued on to London in another jet after airport officials told them that a mouse could create a safety hazard by crewing through electrical wire and hydraulic lines. Delta confirmed yesterday that the rodent alert occurred on the same plane that was evacuated less than three weeks ago after a mouse was spotted just before it took off on the same New York to London journey.

Sources:

Mouse on plane cancels two US flights in a month

The jumbo that was scared of a mouse: Delta Airlines cancels flight after rodent spotted in cabin

Mouse Grounds Plane at Kennedy

MD-88 Evacuated at Atlanta Due to Engine Fire

138 passengers evacuated a MD-88 (DL 1016) at Atlanta due to an engine fire on November 7. The plane was to have flown to Philadelpha.

Sources:

Engine smoke causes Delta plane evacuation

Engine smoke causes Delta plane evacuation

Engine fire on Delta flight prompts evacuation

Flight Experiences Engine Trouble

Engine Fire Grounds Delta Flight Saturday

Engine smoke evacuates Delta plane