Delta Suspending Service at 10 Metropolitan Airports (Video)

Delta Air Lines will temporarily suspend service at 10 airports around the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Beginning May 13, the airline will pull its routes from select airports in metropolitan areas including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Boston.

“The safety of our employees and customers remains our primary focus as we navigate these challenges together,” Sandy Gordon, Delta’s senior vice president of domestic airport operations, said in a statement. “By consolidating operations while customer traffic is low, we can allow more of our people to stay home in accordance with local health guidelines.”

The airports affected include Chicago Midway, Oakland International, Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, Manchester-Boston Regional, T.F. Green International, Westchester County, Stewart International, Akron-Canton and Newport News/Williamsburg International. Service to these airports will remain suspended through at least September 2020.

The airline will continue operating flights at nearby airports in all the affected areas. Alternatives are listed on Delta's website.

The measure could extend to nine additional airports as Delta filed a request with the Department of Transportation to cut service to additional cities with multiple airports. The request is still under review.

The airline will operate an 85 percent reduction in its schedule this quarter, reducing 80 percent of domestic U.S. capacity and 90 percent for international flights.

The airline has introduced several new safety measures over the past few months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased cleaning and disinfecting of aircraft and airport spaces. Passengers who board Delta planes are now required to wear face masks for the duration of their flight.

Last week, Delta announced it would begin blocking select window and aisle seats in addition to the middle to promote social distancing and that flights will now be boarded from back to front to reduce the number of travelers passing each other in the cabin.