Is it Payback?

Delta Airlines announced Thursday that it will discontinue seven daily flights from the Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita starting July 1st. The change has already raised questions and stressed travelers.

Three flights to Salt Lake City, two to Cincinnati, and two to Atlanta will be cut from the schedule, but no one is sure what the results will be for travelers. As reported on ANN, Delta and the city have been at odds over subsidies that are being given to AirTran Airways.

Delta said Thursday that it can't compete in a market where a competing carrier is being subsidized.

"Reducing flights is not part of the plan that we want to proceed with," said Dave Unruh, chairman of the Sedgwick County Commission to the Wichita Eagle. "And we think Delta is a big part of air service for our area."

"This seems like it's a direct response by Delta to our efforts at risk mitigation with AirTran," said Unruh.

An attorney and co-chairman of the Visioneering Wichita project, Harvey Sorensen, told the Eagle that Delta's flight reduction could strengthen AirTran's place in the market. He said with less competition, more people may fly with AirTran and make it less reliant on government subsidies.

A Delta spokesperson said that the airline will contact customers whose flights have been cancelled to help them make other arrangements.

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