Comair to bring back 70 pilots, 40 attendants
Friday, May 28, 2010, 1:27pm EDT

Commuter airline Comair told its employees it would recall from furlough at least 70 pilots and 40 flight attendants to provide more flight hours for parent Delta Air Lines.

In a memo to employees, Comair said it will send out recall letters and begin training, with the goal of having the first group of pilots ready by the end of July.

The airline said in the memo that Delta asked it to increase its flying time starting in June, with an additional 200 block hours. A block hour is measured from the time an aircraft leaves the gate until it arrives at its destination gate.

Comair’s block hours will be increased gradually through November, when they are expected to reach an additional 1,100 hours, the airline said.

The Erlanger-based airline began furloughing employees last summer, when Delta began reducing its capacity at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Atlanta-based Delta (NYSE: DAL) operates a hub at the airport and employs about 2,200 workers locally