Delta Chief Operating Officer Gil West to retire from airline

Delta Air Lines Chief Operating Officer Gil West is retiring from the company after 12 years at the carrier.

West will stay at the company through September “as we evaluate how to best transition his responsibilities in the current environment,” Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive officer, said in a memo to employees Monday.

The airline praised West’s work. It did not detail the reasons behind the 59-year-old executive’s decision to retire from the company.

Delta has been working to cut its workforce and expenses amid the steep decline in travel due to COVID-19, including through buyouts and early retirements.

West joined Delta in 2008 from bus company Laidlaw Transit Services, where he was CEO. He started out at Delta as senior vice president of airport customer service and helped lead the integration of Delta and Northwest operations in the merger of the two airlines.

West, who has helped to improve Delta’s on-time performance and reliability, was promoted to chief operating officer in 2014. In that role, he also led the expansion of Delta’s ancillary businesses and technology-focused ventures including Delta Hangar, Delta Flight Products and Delta Material Services.