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Southeast cuts 10 flights from its weekly schedule

The Largo-based carrier says high fuel costs and competitors' bargain fares led to the decision.

Largo-based Southeast Airlines cut flights from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport for this month because of high fuel prices and fare sales launched by discount carriers.

Starting Monday, the airline reduced its schedule at the airport from 37 to 27 weekly departures, said Scott Bacon, Southeast's vice president of planning. Passengers with reservations on the canceled flights have been booked on other flights, he said.

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways initiated late summer and fall fare sales last month that were matched by other major airlines.

Southeast couldn't make money selling tickets so cheaply, and as a result lost 15 to 20 percent of its projected passengers to competitors, Bacon wrote in an e-mail to local airport officials. "The reduction in schedule was quite simply an economic necessity," he wrote.

Southeast will continue flying to five destinations - Allentown, Pa., Newburgh, N.Y., Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss., Columbus, Ohio, and Gary, Ind. - but less frequently. "We'll certainly miss the seats in our markets," airport director Noah Lagos said. "But if (the cuts) ensure they stay healthy, we support whatever they do."

The airline already had planned to fly 27 weekly departures from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International in September, traditionally one of the slowest months for Florida air travel, Bacon said.

Southeast is the second largest airline - behind ATA - at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, carrying 23 percent of the airport's passengers during the first seven months of this year. The privately owned carrier is the only airline with headquarters in the Tampa Bay area and employs nearly 400 workers.

For the next six months, Southeast will have two of its eight jets undergoing major scheduled maintenance and may need to lay off employees during that time, Bacon said.

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or 813 226-3384.