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Hilton Head Island will soon be a one-airline town again after Delta pulls its fight service on Nov. 2.
The airline is again suspending its four daily fights from the island airport to Atlanta in response to economic pressures, spokeswoman Susan Elliott said. Delta also suspended its service last year in the of-season due to economic concerns, but it restarted the fights as the summer season approached. The airline may resume its service in the spring, but Elliott said ofcials will have to make that decision later in the year based on economic factors.
The fights between the island and the airline’s hub in Atlanta weren’t making enough money to keep them going in the slow months, she said. Service is being cut in other places across the entire Delta system, she said.
Part of the problem is the airport’s runway, which limits the size and weight of planes that can take of and land. The Saab planes that the airline has been using can carry 34 passengers.
“In the current economic climate, we’ve adjusted capacity on both the international and domestic sides,” she said. “We’ve seen cuts across the United States.”
US Airways Express will continue its connector fight service to Charlotte. The last Delta fight will be at 8:40 p.m. Nov. 2.
For an in-depth look at the airport issue, check out the October issue of Hilton Head Monthly.
