Delta Airlines to drop Springfield service to Cincinnati

Delta Airlines is dropping service between Springfield-Branson National Airport and Cincinnati effective Aug. 31, the airport said today.

The carrier currently offers one daily flight from Springfield to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

“The decision was made after careful review of the passenger demand and where they are connecting to and from in regards to the SGF marketplace,” Delta told Springfield airport officials on Friday afternoon, according to a news release. “With the price of fuel at all-time highs, we find ourselves having to make decisions like the CVG-SGF service.”

The pending merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines also is a likely factor in the decision, the airport said in the release, which noted that Delta also is dropping Cincinnati service to 12 other cities.

“The news is disappointing but not a surprise,” airport spokesman Kent Boyd said in the release. “As we’ve said many times on the airport blog and in public: We’ll be lucky to get through the year without losing service. Given the lackluster state of the airline industry, cuts were nearly inevitable.”

Delta is, however, tentatively adding a fourth daily flight between Springfield and Atlanta, according to the release.