Delta announced that it will ground 300 of its aircraft and cut 40% of its flights in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The carrier has seen a drop in demand since the pandemic began but a huge contributor to these cuts follows the United States government’s decision to suspend European connections.

“The speed of the demand fall-off is unlike anything we’ve seen,” commented Delta CEO, Ed Bastian. “We are moving quickly to preserve cash and protect our company. And with revenues dropping, we must be focused on taking costs out of our business.”

Due to the reduction in demand, Delta claimed it will be focused on utilising smaller aircraft and has deferred plane deliveries, despite having over 200 aircraft on order currently. Additionally, these measures are followed by the freezing of hiring practices, a reduction to contractors and the offer for employees to take voluntary unpaid leave. Several other airlines have undergone the same measures as the situation continues to evolve.

However, Bastian believes that the airline will be able to resume to normal, claiming that the actions the company has taken will ensure it can recover when passengers return to travel. He states, “Delta remains better-positioned to weather a storm of this magnitude than ever before in our history. We’ve spent a decade building a strong, resilient airline powered by the best professionals in the business.”