CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- Regional airline Comair has told employees

that it expects to cut about one-fifth of its pilots and flight

attendant jobs beginning this fall.

The cuts are part of the carrier's plan to ground 14 of its

50-seat jets by the end of the year.

The Delta Air Lines Inc. subsidiary sent the memo to employees

this week. Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx says the Erlanger,

Ky.-based airline expects to cut about 300 pilot and 220 flight

attendant positions.

Marx says the airline has steadily reduced non-crew staff since

the beginning of the year. She says the pilot and flight attendant

staffing now has to be adjusted with the grounding of the planes.

Comair announced in January that it would reduce its fleet by up

to 14 this year and fly fewer hours as part of Delta's cost-cutting

plans.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)