Delta Air Lines' workforce grew last year as the Atlanta-based company added employees to fix service problems as the industry staged a financial recovery..
The growth continued a trend since late 2008, when Delta and Northwest Airlines consolidated through their merger.
In December 2008, a couple of months after Delta closed the deal, the two airlines had a combined total of about 73,400 full-time equivalent employees. The count grew to 75,200 in December 2009 and 76,500 in December 2010.
"Delta has been able to create and maintain good jobs even in a difficult environment," spokeswoman Betsy Talton said.
Delta hired service and reservations agents and cargo and maintenance workers in the past year to improve its customer service and operational performance, the airline said. Much of the hiring came after a summer rife with delays and cancellations that made Delta one of the worst-performing airlines for on-time performance in 2010.
Delta also hired flight attendants and pilots last year. The airline has about 27,000 employees in Georgia, most based in Atlanta, where it last long been the biggest corporate employer.
At the same time, Delta has made significant cuts in administrative staff since the merger, particularly at Northwest's former headquarters near Minneapolis.
"The amount of reduction in overhead was substantial," said Port Washington, N.Y.-based airline consultant Bob Mann.
Overall, the U.S. airline industry saw a 0.2 percent increase in employment levels in 2010.
Airlines have seen a recovery in business travel and have restored international flights, Mann said.
Despite a recovery from recent troubles, the airline industry has lost tens of thousands of employees over the last decade. Major airlines including Delta, American, United and others took a big hit, going from a total of 432,090 full-time equivalent employees at the end of 2000 to 256,800 at the end of 2010, amid a shift toward low-cost carriers and regional airlines.
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