Delta halts service to Oakland International

Delta Air Lines is temporarily suspending service to Oakland International and 10 other U.S. airports starting Wednesday in a move the company said will help minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for their front-line employees.

Service will be suspended until at least September, and affected passengers will be moved to San Francisco International, the company said in a news release.

Workers affected by the closure will be offered “pay protection options” through September.

“The safety of our employees and customers remains our primary focus as we navigate these challenges together,” Sandy Gordon, senior vice president for domestic airport operations, said in the news release.

“By consolidating operations while customer traffic is low, we can allow more of our people to stay home in accordance with local health guidelines.”

Recently, Delta has been flying only a daily flight from Oakland to Salt Lake City, a company spokesperson said.

The company said it has waived flight change fees for flights booked through September.

Service is stopping at two other California airports — flights from Long Beach and Hollywood Burbank airports will be consolidated into Los Angeles International Airport.

The announcement comes as the airline industry has been pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic, which has stopped almost all nonessential travel and led some countries to ban international flights.

Delta has reduced domestic capacity by 80% and international capacity by 90%, the company said in its news release.

It’s also seeking federal approval to consolidate service in nine other U.S. cities.