Airline Scales Back Service To ICT In Subsidy War With City

How's that line go? "It's always the innocents who suffer"?

That seems to be the case in Wichita, where, embroiled in a battle over city subsidies to AirTran, Delta Airlines is cutting back on flights.

As ticket agents continue to deny reports that Delta is axing service to Salt Lake City and Cincinnati, customers are trying to figure out just how they'll get from one place to the other.

"It's really creating a lot of havoc for people," said David Hansen, co-owner of Sunflower Travel. He was quoted by the Wichita Eagle. Noting that even passengers who didn't book through his agency are calling, Hansen said, "We're all in the same boat."

Delta executives said airline employees will begin making calls to ticketed passengers on Saturday, trying to help arrange alternate plans.

"We apologize for any confusion," said Delta spokeswoman Chris Kelly. She told the Eagle that the airline is having some trouble updating its scheduling computers.

Wichita Airport Director Tom Nolan told the Eagle Delta will indeed stop service to both SLC and Cincinnati on July 1st. As ANN reported Monday, it's Delta's latest protest over subsidies paid by the city to AirTran, brought in as a competitor to lower fares in the market.

FMI: www.delta.com, www.wichitagov.org