Delta Air Lines is cutting its payroll by offering buyouts and early retirements.

Amid high fuel costs that led to a first quarter loss, Delta plans to cut flight capacity at least 4 percent after Labor Day, and to retire more airplanes. The Atlanta-based airline on Friday said it also must cut costs associated with the flying by cutting its headcount.

More than 55,000 of Delta’s 80,000 employees are eligible for the buyouts, said Keyra Lynn Johnson, director of internal communications. She said there is no target number but added Delta expects the program to meet its needs for cuts among front-line employees, along with attrition and seasonal and extended leaves.

“It’s far too early to tell” if layoffs will be necessary among office staff, according to Johnson.

The early retirement offers go to employees with 10 or more consecutive years of employment whose age and years of service total to least 55. It will also offer an early-out program to employees with at least five consecutive years of service.

Sign-up is during the month of June. Those who take early retirement will get up to 39 weeks of severance depending on years of service, while the early-out program offers up to 20 weeks, along with some benefits.

Most front-line employees would leave the company between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31.

Even though oil prices declined Thursday, “We must think of current high fuel prices as a permanent reality of our business,” Delta Chief Executive Richard Anderson said in a message to employees. “It’s our responsibility along the way, as we manage Delta in this high fuel environment, to make the right choices, even when they’re hard.”

Delta lost $318 million in the first quarter, citing fuel costs. Delta expects fuel expense to increase by $3 billion this year, and executives have sought to assure investors they are making cutbacks to adjust.

Delta last offered a similar round of buyouts in 2009. It cut about 6,000 employees through buyouts in 2008 and 2009.